Not content with consuming it by the glass, mixing it into a sauce or freezing it into a slushie, the wine connoisseurs of the Internet have invented yet another way to get that vino into us.
Red wine and pasta have been inextricably linked since the first Italian mama made her first batch of spaghetti, now Food and Wine's latest recipe celebrates two of our favourite things.
Turns out, when you cook pasta in red wine it takes on a gorgeous ruby hue. Throw in some cheese, a few walnuts, a scattering of parsley and a glug of olive oil and your dinner guests will be hailing you the new Nigella.
Here's what you need:
- 5 cups water (all conversions available here)
- 3 1/4 cups red wine
- Salt
- 3/4 pound spaghetti
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 small garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
- 1 cup walnuts (4 ounces), toasted and coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
- Freshly ground black pepper
Method:
- In a saucepan, combine the water with 3 cups of the wine and a large pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook, stirring, until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid.
- In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the garlic and red pepper and season with salt. Cook over moderate heat for 1 minute. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of wine and the reserved cooking liquid and bring to a simmer. Stir in the pasta and cook until the liquid is nearly absorbed, 2 minutes. Add the parsley, nuts, the 1/2 cup of cheese and the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and toss. Season the pasta with salt and pepper and serve, passing grated cheese at the table.
Watch the full Food and Wine tutorial for a step-by-step...
