Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 15 mins | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- The Noodles: 8–10 oz wide rice noodles (or pappardelle pasta if you prefer a traditional Italian wheat base).
- The Protein: 1 lb Italian sausage (sweet or spicy, removed from casings).
- The Veggies: 3 bell peppers (red, yellow, and green, sliced into strips) and 1 small yellow onion (sliced).
- The Aromatics: 3 cloves garlic (minced) and 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes.
- The Sauce:
- 1/4 cup soy sauce.
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce (for that “drunken noodle” depth).
- 1 tbsp tomato paste.
- 1 tsp sugar.
- Garnish: A handful of fresh basil leaves (Thai basil or Italian basil).
Instructions
- Prep the Noodles: Soak or boil your noodles according to package directions until they are just shy of al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Brown the Sausage: In a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat, cook the Italian sausage until browned and crumbled. Remove the sausage from the pan but leave about 1 tbsp of the drippings.
- Sauté the Veggies: Add the peppers and onions to the skillet. Sauté for 5–6 minutes until they are tender-crisp and have some light char marks.
- Aromatics: Stir in the minced garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Toss and Sauce: Return the cooked sausage to the pan and add the noodles. Pour the sauce mixture (soy sauce, oyster sauce, tomato paste, sugar) over everything.
- Combine: Toss vigorously over high heat for 2–3 minutes until the noodles are fully coated and have absorbed some of the sauce.
- Finish: Turn off the heat and stir in the fresh basil leaves—the residual heat will wilt them perfectly.