Why You Need to Be Cooking Your Pasta in Red Wine

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There’s a lot to love about pasta. Whether you’re cooking it fresh or reheating leftovers, pasta is a filling and fulfilling meal. But have you ever thought about cooking pasta with something other than plain old tap water? Maybe with something like red wine? Sounds too good to be true, but it actually makes for a delicious meal, according to Jim Mumford, a recipe writer. “Cooking pasta with red wine is a centuries-old tradition,” he says. “The wine imparts a subtle wine flavour, but the acid also helps cook the pasta, giving a more pleasant texture. ”

Firoz Thanawalla, chef and owner of Chef’s Satchel, offers this recipe for cooking pasta with red wine. “Cooking with wine helps release a lot of flavours from the different components added to the dish that fats are unable to,” Thanawalla says. “Boiling pasta in red wine not only helps infuse flavour, but also has an added bonus of reserving some of the red wine liquid towards making the sauce.” But first, find out the right way to break pasta.

What you’ll need:

• 3 1/2 cups Pinot Noir
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 lb spaghetti
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup fresh parmesan
• Salt to taste
• Freshly cracked pepper to taste

What to do:

1.  Combine red wine and water in a pot. Add salt and bring it to a boil
2.  Add the spaghetti and cook till just done. Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water
3. Heat oil and add the sliced garlic along with the chili flakes. Deglaze with the reserved liquid
4. Add the pasta and let it simmer for a couple of minutes
5.  Add freshly chopped parsley as well as the parmesan
6.  Serve hot

Hopefully you’ve found a delicious new way to enjoy pasta! No matter how you prefer to cook your pasta, make sure you’re not making these common pasta mistakes.