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Friday, July 19, 2013

Italian Style Drunken Noodles Primavera

 
Well folks... this is a twist on a twist.  First, we are going to do an ethic twist on the traditional Thai style drunken noodles.... as we are going Italian with this!  Second, rather than using Italian sausage, let's go low fat and use turkey bratwurst.  I promise, there is so much flavor in here, that none of your guests will know its turkey.  Just think of how much healthier this will be!  Lean turkey, TONS of vegetables, and yes - one of my favorite indulgences, pasta!  Put it this way - when I made this, I had three teenage boys here.  Two of them came back for seconds! 

The alcohol will totally cook out of this, but the complexity that it brings to the dish is fabulous!  It is rich, garlicky, lots of great Italian flavors, lots of beautiful veggies...and tons of flavor - but made from turkey!  What's not to like?!


Ingredients:  (6 adult portions)
  • 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • 1 pound turkey bratwurst
  • 1/2 cup onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 zucchini, sliced into matchsticks
  • 2 Tbsp freshly minced garlic
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine
  • 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • kosher salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 3 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil, cut into thin ribbons + 1/4 cup more for garnish
  • egg noodles or tagliatelle (I used No Yolks)
  • Parmigiano reggiano for garnish

Step-by-step:
Remove the casings from the turkey bratwurst.   Feel free to substitute ground beef, but I was going for really healthy on this recipe.  There is SO much flavor in this dish, that your family will be happy with the turkey.  :) 
1 pound of turkey bratwurst
 
Add a little EVOO to a dutch oven, and brown the turkey, crumbling it into medium sized pieces as it browns. 
2 Tbsp EVOO
 
Add in all vegetables, liquids, and seasonings.  Allow to reduce until all vegetables are tender and sauce has thickened.      
1/2 cup onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 each - red, yellow, orange bell pepper - cut into strips
1 zucchini, sliced into matchsticks
1 zucchini, sliced into matchsticks
2 Tbsp freshly minced garlic
 Gorgeous already, right?!
Well it's about to get better!
By this time, any liquid will probably have cooked out.  So now we will deglaze with the red wine.  Expect lots of steam!  Allow the alcohol to evaporate.  It won't take long.  Then you can add the rest of the liquids.
1/2 cup dry red wine
 These cuties are from my garden! :)
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
black pepper to taste
kosher salt to taste
Tip - the sugar cuts the acid from the tomatoes.
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup fresh basil, cut into thin ribbons
3 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
 Don't forget to put cook your pasta!  
egg noodles or tagliatelle
Let it cook down until the sauce reduces, and the vegetables are tender.
Serve over pasta.  I used extra wide egg noodles.  (The No Yolks brand has no cholesterol.)
Garnish with extra fresh basil and shaved Parmesan cheese. 
I hope you totally fell in love with this recipe and are rushing out to buy your ingredients NOW!!  But in case you want to look at some other recipes, check out my Recipe Index for tons of ideas!  If you are are a MenuMusings newbie, Click here to subscribe so you won't miss a thing!! 

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Written Method:
Remove the casings from the turkey bratwurst.  Add a little EVOO to a dutch oven, and brown the turkey, crumbling it into medium sized pieces as it browns.  Add in all vegetables, liquids, and seasonings.  Allow to reduce until all vegetables are tender and sauce has thickened.  Serve over pasta and garnish with extra fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.    
 

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