Saucy Italian "Drunken" Noodles with Spicy Italian Sausage

Oh my! This was fabulous. Restaurant quality for sure. Will ate several helpings. The recipe calls for Pappardelle noodles, which I couldn't find. I really wanted those wide, flat noodles, but I just went with a three pepper fettuccine noodle (below). DELICIOUS.

extra virgin olive oil
4 spicy Italian sausage links, casings removed
1 large onion, quartered and sliced thinly
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp 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 cloves garlic
½ c white wine (I used Chardonnay)
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
¼ c fresh basil leaves, sliced-thin, divided use
8 ounces Pappardelle noodles, uncooked

Place a large, heavy-bottom pan over medium-high heat; add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and once the oil is hot, crumble the spicy Italian sausage into the pan in small chunks (you want to keep the sausage fairly chunky), allowing it to brown in the oil for a few moments on each side; once the crumbled sausage is browned, remove it from the pan/pot with a slotted spoon and place into a small bowl to hold for a moment.

Next, add the sliced onion into the pan with the sausage drippings, and allow it to caramelize and become golden for roughly 5 minutes or so, stirring to keep it from burning; once the onion starts to become golden, add the salt, Italian seasoning and cracked black pepper, and stir to combine, then add in the sliced bell peppers, and allow those to saute with the onion for about 2 minutes until slightly tender and golden. Add in the garlic, and once it becomes aromatic, add in the white wine and allow it to reduce for a few moments, until almost completely reduced; Then, add in the diced tomatoes with their juice, and return the browned spicy Italian sausage back into the pan, 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 off. To finish add in the chopped parsley and about half of the 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. To serve, garnish with a sprinkle of the remaining basil!

Original recipe found here.