In this indulgent, but-oh-so simple recipe for red wine pasta, spaghetti noodles finish cooking in a red wine sauce with butter, garlic, and just a hint of heat from crushed red pepper flakes.
This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through my links, I may make a small commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my full disclosure policy here.
A bowl of pasta always makes me swoon, but a bowl of pasta that has been cooked in red wine? Bring it. Now. You may wonder, is it worth it to use a whole bottle of wine in a pasta sauce? The answer is: YES!
Italians have been cooking pasta in red wine for hundreds of years. It's called spaghetti all'ubriaco which means drunken spaghetti. But we are not going to actually boil the pasta in red wine. Instead, the spaghetti finishes cooking just for the last few minutes in a buttery red wine sauce.
Jump to:
Red wine pasta is a simple, decadent, and classic Italian recipe!
- Just 6 ingredients!
- Red wine and butter are best friends in the light but decadent sauce.
- There's a whole bottle of red wine in it! Yippee!
- You can use spaghetti, linguine, bucatini or any long thin pasta.
- Make it for a romantic dinner or a celebratory meal.
What does red wine pasta taste like?
The red wine doesn't make the spaghetti taste like wine. And I mean that in a good way. It adds acid to the sauce and provides a subtle aroma. It's just there in the background being amazing with every bite.
Ingredients you'll need
- Pasta noodles: I like spaghetti, but linquine would also work. Choose a high-quality pasta brand. It's the star of the show so it needs to be good. I like DeCecco which is widely available at Whole Foods and other grocery stores.
- Dry Italian red wine: Try something like Chianti or Sangiovese.
- Unsalted butter
- Garlic
- Parmigiano reggiano cheese: Again, please use the real deal and grate it yourself for the best flavor.
- Kosher salt
How to make red wine pasta
Adapted lightly from Bon Appétit.
Step 1: Chop and sweat the garlic
Finely chop the garlic cloves using a good chef's knife.
Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoon olive oil, the chopped garlic, 1 tablespoon of butter, and the crushed red pepper flakes.
Cook until the garlic is fragrant and becomes translucent, but not browned.
Step 2: Make the red wine sauce
Add the wine to the pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Allow to simmer uncovered until the wine has reduced by two-thirds, about 25 minutes.
Season the sauce with salt, cover and keep warm.
I am a part of the Lodge Cast Iron Blogging Partners Program. This Dutch oven was provided to me free of charge by Lodge Cast Iron. All opinions are my own.
Step 3: Cook the pasta very al dente
Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt it generously, and add the spaghetti noodles. Cook until very al dente, 3 - 4 minutes less than the package instructions.
Step 4: Finish cooking the pasta in the red wine
Just before the pasta is done, bring the sauce back to a simmer over medium heat.
When the pasta is about 3 minutes away from being al dente, drain it and add it to the red wine sauce along with the remaining butter. Keep tossing it in the sauce frequently to coat the noodles and let them absorb all of the wine, about 2 - 3 minutes, then remove from heat. You don't want the spaghetti to go past al dente.
Serve topped with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese and more red pepper flakes if desired.
Tips for red wine pasta
- It's very important to get good quality pasta that's made with good semolina flour. That's what makes the pasta sturdy enough to hold up to sauces and cooking, and keep from turning into a mushy, texture-less mess. Don't use that 99 cent stuff that you can practically see through. I like DeCecco pastas. They are very high quality, affordable, and found in most grocery stores.
- What type of wine should you use for red wine spaghetti? Choose a medium-bodied, dry red wine, preferably Italian, and definitely one that you would drink. Chianti or Sangiovese work well, as they are Tuscan wines and this recipe has its origins in Tuscany.
- Don't overcook the pasta!! Be sure to remove the spaghetti from the boiling water before it's perfectly al dente. It needs to absorb the red wine sauce and it won't do this if it's already cooked all the way through. You want to ensure that the pasta is al dente when you serve it. Which means it has a bit of firmness and is not mushy.
- I like to grate my parmigiano cheese on the small side a box grater for this type of dish. Grating the cheese this way adds a nice texture and you get that extra bit of crunch from the salt crystals in the cheese. Yum.
What to serve with red wine pasta
- Do as the Italians do and start with a Negroni cocktail.
- Pay tribute to the Italian flag when you serve a Tricolore Salad.
- Finish your meal with a Coffee Granita. The perfect balance to the red wine.
More pasta recipes
- Gorgonzola Pasta is another simple but satisfying pasta recipe that only requires a few ingredients.
- Baked Pasta with Goat Cheese, Radicchio, and Caramelized Red Onion is a perfect gooey treat on a cold night.
- Linguine with Green Olives, Capers, and Fresh Herbs has all the salty, herby things that make life worth living!
- Creamy Pasta with Bacon and Cheese is actually a very French pasta made with Comté cheese.
Recipe
Red Wine Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti noodles DeCecco or other high quality brand
- 1 750 ml bottle dry red wine such as Sangiovese or Chianti
- 8 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1.5 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 oz grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
- kosher salt
Instructions
- Finely chop the garlic cloves. Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoon olive oil, the chopped garlic, 1 tablespoon of butter, and the crushed red pepper flakes. Cook until the garlic is fragrant and becomes translucent, but not browned.
- Add the wine to the pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Allow to simmer uncovered until the wine has reduced by two-thirds, about 25 minutes. Season the red wine pasta sauce with salt, cover and keep warm.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt it generously, and add the spaghetti noodles. Cook until very al dente, 3 – 4 minutes less than the package instructions.
- Just before the pasta is done, bring the sauce back to a simmer over medium heat.
- When the pasta is about 3 minutes away from being perfectly al dente, drain it and add it to the red wine sauce along with the remaining butter. Keep tossing it in the sauce frequently to coat the noodles and let them absorb all of the wine, about 2 – 3 minutes, then remove from heat. You don’t want the noodles to go past al dente and become mushy. The noodles will be a deep burgundy color and glossy with all that butter!
- Serve topped with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese and more red pepper flakes if desired.
Notes
- It’s very important to get good quality pasta. Look for noodles that are good and yellow. That’s the good, good semolina flour in there. That’s what makes the pasta sturdy enough to hold up to sauces and cooking, and keep from turning into a mushy, texture-less mess. Don’t use that 99 cent stuff that you can practically see through. I like DeCecco pastas. They are very high quality, affordable, and found in most grocery stores.
- Never cook with a wine that you wouldn't drink. But don't use an expensive wine in this sauce, either. You can find a lot of affordable Italian dry red wines. I used Sangiovese for this recipe and it cost about $7 for the bottle.
- I used my Lodge enameled cast iron Dutch oven to cook down the sauce. All of that red wine just wipes cleanly off of the enamel when you're done.
- I like to freshly grate my parmigiano cheese on the small side a box grater for this type of dish. Grating the cheese this way adds a nice texture and you get that extra bit of crunch from the salt crystals in the cheese. Yum.
Carole
I am very familiar with this recipe. As a child in the Camino family, my grandmother would always take some al dente pasta from her pot, and put it in a large white coffee mug . She tossed it with fresh parm and a few splashes of grandfathers red wine. Yummy what a glorious memory.
Debra
Hi Carole!
Thank you so much for sharing this memory. Grandma and grandpa always know what's best!
Thanks for reading,
Debra