Italian Drunken Noodles Pasta (Print version)

Wine-kissed pasta with spicy sausage, cherry tomatoes, and fresh herbs in a rich Chianti sauce.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 ounces spaghetti or linguine

→ Sauce and Proteins

02 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
03 - 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
04 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
05 - 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
06 - 8 ounces Italian sausage, casings removed and crumbled, or 8 ounces peeled shrimp

→ Vegetables and Aromatics

07 - 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
08 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste

→ Liquids and Seasonings

09 - 1/2 cup dry red wine, Chianti or Sangiovese recommended
10 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
11 - 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
12 - 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

→ Fresh Herbs and Cheese

13 - 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly torn
14 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
15 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

→ To Finish

16 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
17 - Optional garnish: extra basil leaves, thinly sliced red chili, lemon wedges

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain and set aside.
02 - While pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and swirl to coat the surface evenly.
03 - Add onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes; cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Add sausage or shrimp to the skillet. For sausage, cook 5 to 7 minutes, breaking into pieces, until browned and cooked through. For shrimp, cook 2 to 3 minutes per side until pink and opaque.
05 - Stir in cherry tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes, gently mashing some tomatoes to release their juices.
06 - Pour in red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until reduced by about half.
07 - Add soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and balsamic vinegar. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, or additional red pepper flakes as desired.
08 - Add drained pasta to the skillet. Toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time until sauce clings to noodles.
09 - Remove from heat. Stir in basil, parsley, and Parmesan until melted and evenly incorporated throughout the pasta.
10 - Divide pasta among serving bowls. Garnish with extra basil, Parmesan, sliced chili if desired, and a lemon wedge for brightness.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It marries the comfort of Italian pasta with the punchy, umami-rich backbone of Asian stir-fry in a way that feels completely natural.
  • You can have a restaurant-worthy dinner on the table in 40 minutes with ingredients you probably already have.
  • The wine-soaked tomatoes and fresh basil make every bite taste like you put in way more effort than you actually did.
02 -
  • Reserve that pasta water before you drain, it's the secret to a sauce that coats instead of puddles at the bottom of the bowl.
  • Don't skip deglazing with wine, those caramelized bits on the pan are pure flavor and they need to be scraped up and stirred in.
  • Add the fresh herbs off the heat so they stay bright green and fragrant instead of turning dull and cooked.
03 -
  • Use a big enough skillet so the pasta can really toss and coat evenly, a crowded pan means clumpy noodles.
  • Taste the sauce before adding the pasta and adjust the seasoning then, it's easier to fix before everything is mixed together.
  • If you love heat, throw in a thinly sliced fresh chili with the garlic, it adds a bright, vegetal spice that dried flakes can't match.
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