Drunken Pasta

If you read this blog with any regularity then you know of my deep rooted hatred of following recipes. However, every so often, there comes a recipe so enticing that I feel compelled to actually follow it without variation. Of course this does not mean I go through any of the trouble of measuring anything out. That would be a fool's game. Eyeballin' it is still where it's at.

I saw this recipe for Zinfandel Spaghetti and was, for some reason, fascinated by it. The recipe is from Michael Chiarello's Bottega cookbook. After having it pulled up on my browser for two weeks I decided to give it a whirl.



For a start I sliced up some Paesano bread and topped it with fresh mozzzarella and a sun dried tomato concoction. Some might call it a sun dried tomato pesto. However, there are people who become incensed when anyone calls anything a "pesto" that is not the traditional basil spread with pine nuts, garlic, and Parmigiano. Some might call it a tapenade. Then there are more people

Both sets of people can be referred to as uptight jerks if they ever need to be referenced.



The main course came out pretty well. I blanched the rabe, par-cooked the spaghetti and set both aside. I reduced some zinfandel by half with a little sugar then tossed the pasta in with the zinfandel to coat it and complete its cooking. Then I browned some red pepper flakes and garlic and cooked the rabe and combined it all together. I topped it with some Parmigiano-Reggiano before serving.

This was a fun dish to make but I don't think I'd make it again. It was good but I think it was more novel than it was delicious.



For wine we enjoyed the other half bottle of this Italian zinfandel that I used to make the pasta dish.

So, if you're looking do do something novel for dinner you should give this recipe a shot. However, there are far more delicious ways to enjoy pasta even if they are less colorful.