Using wine in a sauce is nothing new, but what about using wine as a sauce? Yes, it turns out that wine makes an incredible pasta sauce, as evidenced by this unique “drunken spaghetti” recipe. With just one pan and a few ingredients that you probably have in your pantry right now, you can make an astonishingly delicious plate of pasta that will be unlike anything you (or your guests) have ever tried.
We believe this to be the case with all wine-based cooking, but especially here it’s important to put aside the myth that you should cook with inferior wine that you wouldn’t want to drink. You don’t need to spend extra or anything, but make sure to use a wine you would be happy to sip, otherwise you won’t be happy eating it.
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SPAGHETTI UBRIACHI RECIPE
Makes: Two servings (you can scale up the recipe, but be aware that you will need a rather large pan to cook more pasta. In most cases it’s best to cook two separate pans of pasta at the same time for more servings)
Cook Time: 20 minutes
For this recipe, you will need:
2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 to 3 bay leaves
2 cups (475 ml) red wine
Fresh black pepper
Salt
7 ounces (200 g) spaghetti
½ tablespoon (7 g) unsalted butter
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, to taste
In a large pan (it should be big enough that the spaghetti can lie flat in the middle), heat the olive oil, garlic clove and bay leaves over medium heat. When the garlic starts to sizzle, add the wine and bring to a simmer.
Season the wine with a big pinch of black pepper and salt, and add the pasta directly into the pan so that it lies flat in the wine. Continue to simmer the wine until the pasta softens, then begin to stir it occasionally.
Keep simmering the sauce and cooking the pasta until the spaghetti is al dente. Occasionally, you will have to add a little hot water as needed to maintain enough moisture for the pasta to cook.
As the pasta nears completion, remove and discard the garlic clove and bay leaves. Salt the sauce again to taste, if needed, and stop adding water so that the wine can thicken.
When the pasta is al dente to your taste, turn off the heat and stir in the butter and a generous grating of cheese. Serve immediately, topped with extra cheese.
Buon appetito!