Drunken Italian Sausage and Noodles
This Italian Drunken Sausage Pasta is one of those easy dinners that feels comforting without requiring a lot of work. It is made with crumbled Italian sausage, tender pasta and a flavorful tomato sauce with garlic, Italian seasoning, chicken broth and a splash of white wine.
I used mafaldine pasta because I love how the ruffled edges hold onto the sausage and sauce. Every bite has a little bit of everything, which is exactly what you want from a hearty pasta dish!
The white wine is what gives this recipe its “drunken” name. I used Pinot Grigio, but any dry white wine you enjoy cooking with will work. It adds extra flavor without making the sauce taste strongly like wine.
Pasta Substitutions
You do not have to use mafaldine pasta for this recipe. Choose a pasta that can hold onto the chunky sausage and tomato sauce.
Some great options include:
- Pappardelle
- Fettuccine
- Tagliatelle
- Rigatoni
- Penne
- Bow tie pasta
- Rotini
Short pasta shapes are especially helpful when serving this to children because they are a little easier to eat.
Meat Substitutions
I used Italian sausage, but this recipe is easy to change based on what you already have or what your family prefers.
You can use:
- Ground beef
- Ground turkey
- Ground chicken
- Chicken sausage
- Turkey sausage
- Spicy Italian sausage
- Sweet Italian sausage
- Plant-based ground meat or sausage
When using ground turkey or chicken, you may want to add a little extra olive oil since they are usually leaner than Italian sausage.
Can I Make It Without Wine?
Absolutely. Replace the white wine with an additional ¼ cup of chicken broth. The flavor will be slightly different, but the pasta will still be delicious.
Drunken Italian Sausage and Noodles
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 5 Itatian sausage links mild, sweet or hot (casings removed)
- 1 lb pasta I used Malfadine for this recipe
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- 1/4 cup white wine I used Pinot Grigio
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 bay leaf
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- grated parmesan for garnish optional
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. At the same time, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions.
- Once the oil is hot, add the sausage. Break it into your desired size pieces and cook until browned and completely cooked through. Transfer the cooked sausage to a plate and set it aside.
- When your pasta water comes to a boil, begin cooking your pasta. If your pasta is done before your sauce, drain it and set it aside.
- Add the diced onion to the same skillet and cook for about 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Sprinkle the Italian seasoning over the onions and continue cooking for another minute.
- Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Pour in the white wine and chicken broth. Add the diced tomatoes, cooked sausage and bay leaf, then stir everything together.
- Cover the skillet and bring the sauce to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaf and season the sauce with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Add the pasta to the skillet and toss until every noodle is well coated with the sauce.
- Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired, and enjoy!
