Italian Drunken Noodles

I found this recipe on Pinterest and the original came from the blog The Cozy Apron  Her pics are much better than mine ... beautiful pics... but Course my hubby has a hard time waiting for me to take pics so they are usually taken in a rush.  I changed it up a tad just because hubby loves Hot Italian Sausage and its a little bit too hot for me so I did half Hot Italian Sausage and half Organic Ground Beef ... here's my version... it was amazing.  If my hubby will eat it two days in a row (leftovers on second day, of course) then its got to be awesome believeyoume!!!  Love love love this recipe!

Drunken Italian Noodles

(Serves 6)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Hot Italian Sausage Links (1/2 lb), casings removed

1/2 lb Organic Ground Beef

1 lrg Onion, sliced thinly

1-½ tsp Sea Salt

1 tsp Italian Seasoning

½ tsp Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

1 Red Bell Pepper, cored and thinly sliced

1 Yellow Bell Pepper, cored and thinly sliced

1 Orange Bell Pepper, cored and thinly sliced

4 Garlic Cloves, minced

½ cup Chardonnay Wine (real stuff, not cooking wine)

2 cans Organic Diced Tomatoes with Juice

2 Tblsps Parsley

¼ cup Fresh Basil Leaves, julienned, divided

8 ounces Pappardelle Noodles, uncooked (next time I will only add 4 ounces of the Noodles ... 8 was too much for our taste)

Place a large, heavy-bottom pot over medium-high heat.  Add about 2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  Once the oil is hot, crumble the Spicy Italian Sausage and Organic Ground Beef into the pot in small chunks (you want to keep the sausage fairly chunky).  Once the crumbled meats are browned, remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and place into a small bowl and set aside.

Next, add the sliced Onion to the pan with the drippings and sprinkle with the Sea Salt (which helps in caramelizing veggies), and allow them to caramelize ~ roughly 5 minutes or so, stirring to keep it from burning (add a touch more EVOO, if necessary).  Once Onion is caramelized, add Italian Seasoning and Fresh Cracked Black Pepper and stir to combine.  

Next, add in the Sliced Bell Peppers, and allow those to sauté with the Onion for about 2 minutes until slightly tender and golden; next, add the Minced Garlic, and once it becomes aromatic, add the Wine and allow it to reduce for a few moments; next, add in the Diced Tomatoes with their juice, and return the browned meats back to the pot, and gently fold the mixture to combine; allow it to gently simmer for about 3-4 minutes to blend the flavors, then turn the heat down to low as possible.

To finish the sauce, drizzle in about 2-3 good tablespoons of the EVOO, and add in the Chopped Parsley and about half of the julienned Basil; stir, and keep warm while you prepare the noodles.

Prepare the Pappardelle noodles according to instructions on package; then, drain the noodles very well, and add them directly into the sauce, using tongs to gently toss and combine the Pappardelle noodles with the sauce and all of the ingredients in it; check the seasoning to see if you need to add any additional salt or pepper.

Garnish with a sprinkle of the remaining julienned Basil and top with shaved Parmesan, if desired.