Red Wine Sausages With Creamy, Cheesy Noodles

red wine simmered sausages served over a platter of creamy cheesy noodles

Italian Sausages With Creamy, Cheesy Noodles

It's the middle of the end of summer and it's insanely hot. Today it was 112 in the shade (my thermometers under an overhang); and yet, I still felt the urge to cook up this markedly autumn dish... I may be ready for fall. The deep maroon hue of the wine soaked sausages contrasts nicely against the warm, heavy pasta. I wish I could wear a sweater.

Italian sausages come in a plethora of forms - veggie, chicken, beef, pork. I make veggie sausages for my husband and chicken for myself. Look for sausages that are organic, and all natural. Some of the veggie sausages have a lot of fillers and artificial ingredients in them that make them less healthy than their meat filled counterparts. Use a good full bodied red wine and drink the rest of the bottle with your meal.

Ingredients

For the sausages:
2 Italian sausage links cut into 1/2" rounds
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 of a small onion sliced thin
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons of chopped Greek or Italian olives

For the noodles

2 cups dry wide egg noodles
1/3 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan/Romano cheese
1 teaspoon light butter
Splash of nonfat or low fat milk
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Cook the noodles according to the package instructions. While they are boiling, simmer the sausages and onions in a skillet over medium-high heat. When the sausages have absorbed most of the wine add a little oil into the pan, add the crushed red pepper flakes and olives and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until the sausages are nicely browned - about 2-3 minutes longer.
Turn off the heat and drain the noodles, retaining about 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Return the noodles to their original saucepan which should still be pretty hot. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until the cheese melts. Divide the noodle mixture onto 2 plates and top with the sausage mixture. The white noodles should look pretty with the purple sausages on top. Feel free to garnish with more Parmesan/Romano cheese, pepper and crushed red pepper. Enjoy!

Low Carb. Variation:

Skip the noodles entirely. Once the sausages are cooked, remove them from the heat, add:
2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt, the milk and cheese, stir to combine. Enjoy!