Italian "Drunken" Pappardelle Pasta with Spicy Italian Sausage

Remember yesterday when I taught you all how to make homemade pappardelle? Well today I teach you how to make the most sinfully delicious, oh and drunken, sauce to go along with that fresh handmade pasta. While there's a bit of dicing, chopping, and mincing for prep, throwing this sauce together is actually quite simple. It also makes a perfectly sized meal for 4 people. Or, if you're like me, dinner for 2 one night, and then lunch for those same 2 people the next day. Andrew actually told me this meal was in the top 5 meals that I have ever made. I'm not sure if it because he had 50% claim in making it with me, or if he's just biased towards anything that includes pasta, meat, or wine. But either way, I can't argue with him.

Italian "Drunken" Pappardelle Pasta with Spicy Italian Sausage

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• 4 spicy Italian sausages, casings removed (I used turkey)
• 1 small onion, quartered and thinly sliced
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 red bell pepper, cored then thinly sliced
• 1 orange bell pepper, cored then thinly sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cored then thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1-28 oz. can San Marzano fire roasted tomatoes (I used whole, then cut them up with kitchen shears)
• 2 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley, extra for garnish
• 1 tbsp. freshly julienned basil, extra for garnish
• 10 oz. uncooked pappardelle pasta noodles

In a large cast iron skillet, pour in about 2 tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the crumbled sausage to the hot oil and cook until browned throughout, until no pink remains. Remove the sausage to a plate and set aside. 

If needed, add about 1 more tbsp. of olive oil to the hot pan and add in the onions, tossing often as not to burn them. Cook the onions for 5 minutes until soft. Add in the Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and sliced bell peppers. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, tossing occasionally, allowing the peppers to soften slightly.

Add in the minced garlic. Once the garlic becomes fragrant, pour in the wine. Simmer, until the wine absorbs into the vegetables and barely any remains. Now add in the tomatoes, parsley, and basil. Toss, then add back in the cooked sausage. Allow the mixture to cook for another 3-4 minutes. Turn off the heat, but leave the pan over the hot stove.

Meanwhile, cook the fresh pappardelle in a pot of boiling water until al dente. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce, toss to coat the noodles in the sauce and serve, garnishing with extra parsley and basil.