Umbrian Red Wine Spaghetti and a Book Review #ItalianFWT

I am so excited to partake in this month's Italian Food Wine and Travel event.  When Jennifer of Vino Travels announced that she was featuring the wines of Orvieto, I had just ordered up the biography written by Marlena De Blasi titled The Umbrian Thursday Night Supper Club.

Orvieto is an Italian Wine region located in Umbria and neighboring Lazio.  It was the perfect read as I got ready to choose a wine and a meal to share with our group this month.......

This book follows the life of Marlena; restaurant critic, chef, journalist, author, during the time she moved from her busy life to the quiet, rural area of Umbria where she and 4 other women gather together each Thursday evening in a little stone house located in the hills above Orvieto.

During these gatherings these women share food, wine and their stories with Marlena and she in turn shares them with us.  It is a wonderful, warm and touching story of friendship sometimes tainted by mistrust and past hurts.

Marlena expertly and kindly portrays the women and the men in their lives in a way that makes you feel like you, too, are a longtime friend who has sat around sipping wine and sharing secrets while enjoying simple, rustic recipes like the one I am sharing with you today.

Orvieto is best known for it's white wines and I had purchased a bottle for this event prior to reading the book.  After reading the book, I knew that I wanted to make the Red Wine Spaghetti that was such a comfort food to all who partook.

That meant I needed a red wine from Orvieto.  I waited for a bit because we were supposed to get samples for this event. However, there were delays so I went onto wine.com and ordered up 2 bottles of the Sportoletti Assisi Rosso, a Tuscan blend from Umbria.

They shipped immediately and I decided to make the Red Wine Spaghetti on the day they arrived.  I had never heard of cooking the pasta in wine prior to reading this book but let me say.....I will be making this dish again and again and again. 

The Rosso is very dry and I was glad that I had ordered two bottles because I loved it and had used half of the bottle for the pasta leaving us with just a glass each to enjoy for dinner.  It didn't take us long to open the second bottle to enjoy while conversing after dinner.

The pasta is scrumptious.  It is spaghetti aglio e olio cooked in wine with lots of butter and cheese added.  I was swooning and I cannot wait to make this again.  The pairing was, of course, wonderful and I am anxious to see what wines I receive as sponsor gifts because if there is a red in there....this dish is doing a repeat.

Please join us tomorrow, Saturday, May 7 at 11 AM ET as we further discuss the Orvieto wines that we tasted and perhaps paired with a meal.  Jennifer will be leading us in twitter chat and you will find us by following #ItalianFWT.  Here are the topics we will be discussing.......

• Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm will be sharing “Umbrian Red Wine Spaghetti and a Book Review."
• Liz at What‘s In That Bottle is wondering “Why Aren’t we all Drinking more Orvieto?”
• Robin at Crushed Grape Chronicles will be writing about “Orvieto - the multifaceted white wine of Umbria."
• Lynn at Savor the Harvest will be focusing on “Appreciating an Ancient Italian Wine Made For Today’s Palate.”
• Camilla at The Culinary Adventures of Camilla is “Celebrating Spring with Vignole + 2020 Barberani Castagnolo Orvieto Classico Superiore."
• Lisa at The Wine Chef is pairing “Umbria’s Famous White Wine, Paired With Spiced Pork Tenderloin.”
• Nicole at The Somm's Table will be featuring “Easy Springtime Dinners with Orvieto."
• Pinny at Chinese Food & Wine Pairings is uncovering “Orvieto White Wines - Hidden Treasures From Umbria.”
• Linda at My Full Wine Glass is writing about “White wines from the heart of Central Italy.”
• Susannah at Avvinare will be “Getting reacquainted with an old friend: Orvieto Wines.”
• Rupal at Syrah Queen is sharing "The Soulful and Unique Wines of Orvieto."
• Gwendolyn at Wine Predator...Gwendolyn Alley is aiming to "Discover the Green Heart of Italy: Orvieto DOC in Umbria."
• Terri at Our Good Life is pairing "Slow Cooker Short Ribs and Elicius Orvietano Rosso: A Match Made in the Heavenly Stars."
• Our host, Jen at Vino Travels, shared "Orvieto, Italy's Classic White Wine"

Entrees, Pasta, Meatless, Vegetarian

Entrees

Italian

Yield: 2 servings

Author: Wendy Klik

Red Wine Spaghetti

Imagine spaghetti aglio e olio cooked in wine with lots of butter and cheese added.

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 25 Min

Ingredients

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 t. olive oil
• pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 stick butter, divided
• 1/2 bottle of red wine
• kosher salt
• 8 oz. dried spaghetti
• grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, crushed red pepper and 1 Tablespoon of the butter. Cook, stirring occasionally until fragrant and just beginning to brown.
2. Add the wine, increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, until reduced by half, about 15-20 minutes. Season with salt, cover and turn heat to low.
3. Meanwhile cook the pasta in salted boiling water for 3 minutes less than the time recommended for al dente.
4. Drain pasta and add to the wine reduction, increase heat and bring wine to a simmer, cooking the pasta further. Dice the remaining butter and add to the pot, tossing and cooking until pasta is at desired tenderness and sauce has thickened.
5. Divide between two shallow bowls and generously sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Notes

Inspired by The Umbrian Thursday Night Supper Club

Nutrition Facts

Calories

912.29

Fat (grams)

35.61

Sat. Fat (grams)

18.11

Carbs (grams)

92.94

Fiber (grams)

3.75

Net carbs

89.2

Sugar (grams)

4.27

Protein (grams)

19.89

Sodium (milligrams)

557.07

Cholesterol (grams)

73.79

Similar Recipes

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

Spaghetti cacio e pepe

Makaronia me Yiaourti

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