Italian drunken noodles are my Italian fusion take on one of my favorite Thai-style dishes. Brimming with noodles drenched in a flavorful, wine-infused sauce, bits of spicy Italian sausage, plus sweet bell peppers, onions and basil, this Italian take on drunken noodles is not only scrumptious, but quick and easy to prepare as well! If you’ve ever had the pleasure of trying Thai drunken noodles (or pad kee mao), you know what an amazingly vibrant, rich and flavorful dish it is.
With ribbons of broad rice noodles drenched in a sweet and savory sauce, charred red and yellow bell peppers and onions, a choice of spicy meat, tofu, or shrimp, and a light flourish of freshly julienned Thai basil, this dish always hits the spot when it comes to all those big flavors I crave in Thai cuisine.
I must admit, whenever I would enjoy this dish, it always made me wonder what an Italian version of it would taste like… So in the spirit of play, I created this Italian drunken noodles recipe in which I swapped out some of the more Thai-style ingredients for Italian ones—my oh my, were the results delicious!
This luscious noodle dish just became my favourite! A big thanks to my good friend, Andy, for recommending this recipe. Serve this Italian Drunken Noodles with toasted garlic bread, and you have yourself a meal to remember! Have a blessed day, friends, and I hope you are all well today. Enjoy!
Prep Time: 30 mins | Cook Time: 30 mins | Total Time: 1 hr | Yield: 6 Servings
Ingredients
12 ounces egg noodles
4 clove garlic, minced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 pound Italian sausage
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 cup white wine (like chardonnay)
1 can(s) diced tomatoes with juice (28 oz)
2 tablespoons parsley
1 red pepper, diced
1 orange pepper, diced
Fresh Parmesan cheese, optional
1/4 cup basil, fresh
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
Put a large pot on the stove over medium-high heat.
Add 2 tbsp of olive oil and let it sizzle.
Add the Italian sausage, then cook until crumbly and brown.
Transfer the sausage into a mixing bowl.
In the empty pot, add the bell peppers and sauté until soft. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
Add the garlic, then sauté until fragrant.
Add the white wine, then scrape the bottom of the pot to get the browned bits. Simmer for a few minutes until it reduces its volume.
Add the olive oil, freshly chopped basil, and tomatoes. Stir and cook for a minute.
Add 3 tbsp of olive oil, then add the basil, 1/2 cup of the Julienned basil, and browned sausage. Stir until well blended.
Simmer everything for a few minutes.
Remove the pot from the stove.
Refer to the package of the noodles to know how to prepare them.
Add the drained noodles into the sauce, then toss until well coated.
Sprinkle basil over each serving to garnish.
Serve immediately and enjoy!