Excuse me while I face-plant into a bowl of this One Pot Red Wine Pasta.
YOU GUYS. This is new my new favorite pasta dish. Which is surprising because I am not a fan of red wine.
Why is One Pot Red Wine Pasta the book-inspired recipe for Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea?
Main character Leah drinks a lot of red wine in Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. Yeah, it’s a problem.
I wish I could have been like, Girl, you should eat your wine instead of drinking it. One Pot Red Wine Pasta is a recipe that could have saved Leah a lot of trouble.
Cooking with wine is, in my opinion, and safer and better way to enjoy alcohol.
Most of the alcohol content burns off during the cooking process. That means you’re just left with the bold, fruity flavors of the wine without any of its negative side effects.
What I love about One Pot Red Wine Pasta (even though I don’t like red wine)
I feel like One Pot Red Wine Pasta barely uses a recipe. There are so few ingredients, so few steps you have to do, that making this meal barely qualifies as cooking.
You’re basically just boiling spaghetti… in red wine. Add some butter, grated cheese, and fresh herbs near the end, and boom. You got yourself a fuss-free and totally tempting dinner.
This Red Wine Pasta is So. Freakin. Delicious. The wine reduces as you simmer it with the pasta, and this makes a rich, naturally thickened sauce that coats the spaghetti.
I sprinkled the dish with chopped fresh basil, toasted walnuts for some crunch, and then, of course, added way more freshly grated cheese than was strictly necessary.
This whole meal is glossy and luxurious and tastes like a million-dollar recipe when all it really cost you is the price of a bottle of wine.
Plus, that burgundy-tinted pasta is a real crowd-stunner. Make this dish at home for yourself, but also make it for company so they can oooh and ahhh over your creativity in the kitchen.
What kind of wine should you cook with?
I used a 2023 Merlot for this One Pot Red Wine Pasta dish, and here’s how I selected it: I went to the Merlot section of my closest liquor store. I spied a bottle with a pretty French label, and I saw that the price was reduced from $19.99 to $14.99.
SOLD!
I have no idea if the wine I chose is a good brand, or if the year is a good vintage. But I don’t think it matters because my Red Wine Pasta turned out ahmazing.
You can use any red wine to make One Pot Red Wine Pasta, such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Pinot Noir. If you want to know what the differences are between these wines, please visit another blog. 🙂
The subtle flavors of the wine-soaked pasta will vary slightly according to what wine you cook with. But overall you’ll be left with a rich, slightly fruity sauce once the wine reduces.
What do you serve with One Pot Red Wine Pasta?
Serve your Red Wine Pasta for dinner with a Chicken Caesar Salad or a Mixed Berry Spinach Salad. Or, it could be a wonderful side dish for Coq au Vin, another delicious dish made with red wine.
Your dessert has to be Red Wine Chocolate Cake. You can make it with the leftover wine from the pasta dish!
One Pot Red Wine Pasta
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 shallot, peeled and diced
- 8 oz (1/2 lb) dry spaghetti
- 16 oz (about 2 cups) red wine like Merlot or Pinot Noir
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup freshly granted Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
- ground black pepper, to taste
- salt, to taste
Instructions
PREP INSTRUCTIONS
- If toasting walnuts, do so now. Roughly chop walnuts and place in a large, stain-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Cook walnuts, stirring occasionally, until toasted and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Remove toasted walnuts from heat and turn off the stove. Wipe out the hot skillet with a damp cloth and set aside to cook the pasta in later.
- Dice the shallot and set aside.
- Roughly chop the basil and set aside.
- Grate the cheese and set aside.
- Open the wine bottle and set aside.
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat the olive oil in the cleaned-out skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
- Pour the red wine and water to the skillet and adjust heat to medium-high. When the wine is simmering, add the spaghetti to the skillet in a single layer.
- Simmer the spaghetti in the red wine, stirring occasionally with tongs, until the pasta is cooked al dente. ** The liquid will be mostly absorbed and a slightly thickened sauce will remain in the skillet with the spaghetti.
- Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the butter, grated cheese, and chopped basil. Taste and add lots of freshly ground black pepper and a little salt, or season to your liking.
- Serve One Pot Red Wine Pasta immediately. Top with additional grated cheese, basil, and the toasted walnuts.
