Italian Drunken Noodles are a bold, spicy pasta dish inspired by Thai “drunken noodles” (Pad Kee Mao), but made with Italian ingredients like sausage, tomatoes, wine, and herbs. The “drunken” part usually refers to the splash of wine in the sauce — not that you need to be drunk to eat it 🙂
Here’s a flavorful, restaurant-style version you can make at home:
🍝 Italian Drunken Noodles (Serves 4)
Ingredients
- 12 oz pappardelle or fettuccine
- 1 lb Italian sausage (mild or hot)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 3–4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
- ½ cup dry white wine (Pinot Grigio works well)
- 1 (14–15 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- Salt & black pepper to taste
- ½ cup fresh basil, chopped
- Freshly grated Parmesan for serving
Instructions
- Cook the pasta
Boil in salted water until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water before draining. - Brown the sausage
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove sausage from casing and cook until browned. Break into crumbles. Remove excess grease if needed. - Sauté vegetables
Add onion and bell peppers. Cook 4–5 minutes until slightly softened. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes; cook 30 seconds. - Deglaze with wine
Pour in white wine and scrape up browned bits. Let simmer 2–3 minutes until slightly reduced. - Build the sauce
Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Simmer 8–10 minutes. - Combine
Add drained pasta and toss well. Use reserved pasta water as needed to loosen sauce. - Finish
Stir in fresh basil. Top with Parmesan and extra red pepper flakes if you like heat.
🔥 Make It Spicier
Use hot Italian sausage and increase red pepper flakes.
🥬 Make It Lighter
Swap sausage for grilled chicken and add spinach or zucchini.
If you’d like, I can also give you a creamy version or a one-pot weeknight version.
