High-Protein Italian Drunken Noodles
Wide low-carb noodles, Italian sausage, tomatoes, and wine in one skillet — ready in 25 minutes
These high-protein Italian drunken noodles toss wide low-carb ribbons with browned Italian sausage, peppers, and tomatoes in a garlic wine sauce. The skillet in the photo is packed with wide noodles and red tomato pieces. Each serving has 28 g of protein and 8 g net carbs.
Low carb, sugar-free, and no wheat pasta.
Why you’ll love this skillet
- 28g protein per bowl
- Only 8g net carbs
- One cast-iron pan
- Ready in about 25 minutes
- Wine sauce without sugar
- Wide noodles like the photo
Health notes
- High protein: Italian sausage or lean ground beef.
- Low carb: Hearts-of-palm or shirataki ribbons instead of egg noodles.
- Sugar-free: Crushed tomatoes, not jarred sauce with sugar.
- Wine cooks off: Dry red or white adds flavor, not carbs.
Key element — dry the noodles first
Rinse and pat low-carb noodles dry. Wet noodles thin the sauce and will not cling like the skillet in the photo.
Ingredients
Skillet (4 servings)
- 1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed (or lean ground beef)
- 12 oz wide low-carb noodles (hearts of palm, shirataki fettuccine, or palmini ribbons)
- 1 cup diced tomato
- 1 cup mixed bell pepper strips
- ½ small onion, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ⅓ cup dry red or white wine
- ½ cup crushed tomatoes, no sugar added
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 Tbsp chopped parsley
- 2 Tbsp grated parmesan, to finish
Swaps
- Turkey sausage: Leaner, still high protein.
- Zucchini ribbons: Use if you cannot find hearts of palm.
- No wine: Use extra broth plus 1 tsp vinegar.
- Protein pasta: A small portion of chickpea noodles raises carbs.
Instructions
| 1 | Prep the noodles. Rinse low-carb noodles, drain well, and pat dry. If using shirataki, dry-fry 2 minutes in a hot empty skillet first. |
| 2 | Brown the meat. Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet. Cook sausage, breaking it up, until browned. Add onion, peppers, and garlic. Cook 3 minutes. |
| 3 | Deglaze. Pour in wine and scrape the pan. Add crushed tomatoes, broth, Italian seasoning, flakes, salt, and pepper. Simmer 4 minutes. |
| 4 | Toss and finish. Add diced tomato and noodles. Toss until coated and hot, 2–3 minutes. Rest 2 minutes. Finish with parsley and parmesan. |
Pro tips
- A wide skillet keeps the noodles from steaming into a pile.
- Leave some tomato chunks so the skillet looks like the photo.
- If the sauce is thin, simmer 1 extra minute before adding noodles.
- Dry red wine gives a deeper color; white wine stays lighter.
- Macros are per serving, 4 from one skillet.
Nutrition
| Nutrient | Per serving |
|---|---|
| Calories | 320 |
| Protein | 28g |
| Net carbohydrates | 8g |
| Total carbohydrates | 12g |
| Fiber | 4g |
| Total fat | 16g |
| Sodium | 740mg |
Estimates based on Italian sausage, low-carb wide noodles, peppers, tomatoes, and wine sauce, divided into 4 servings. Exact numbers vary with noodle brand.
Variations
Chicken
Use ground chicken and a splash of extra broth.
Mushroom
Add sliced mushrooms with the peppers.
Spicy
Double the red pepper flakes and add sliced jalapeño.
Creamy
Stir in 2 Tbsp cream at the end.
Storage
| Method | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | Up to 3 days | Reheat in a skillet with a splash of broth |
| Freezer | Up to 2 months | Sauce freezes better than shirataki |
| Reheat | Skillet | Do not microwave long or noodles go rubbery |
FAQ
Test your knowledge
5 quick questions about these Italian drunken noodles
1. Protein per serving?
2. Net carbs per serving?
3. What kind of noodles keep this low carb?
4. About how long does this take?
5. Why dry the noodles before tossing?
