Spaghetti with Red Wine Ubriachi

This red wine spaghetti is a classic: deeply flavorful garlic pasta with a big hit of robust red wine. Spaghetti ubriachi (as it is also known) is rich and creamy, slightly tart and absolutely addictive.

On a recent trip to Montreal, one of our favorite things was spaghetti ubriachi, or spaghetti in red wine. In Italian, ubriachi means drunk, so essentially it's drunken spaghetti or drunken noodles. It is a classic Italian dish made with red wine, garlic, olive oil, butter, spaghetti and parmigiano. It's amazing!

What is spaghetti ubriachi?

Spaghetti Ubriachi, also known as drunken spaghetti, is spaghetti tossed in a bright burgundy butter sauce, seasoned with garlic and red pepper flakes, and finished with a generous amount of finely grated Parmesan cheese. It is rich, full of flavor and extremely satisfying.

What does spaghetti in red wine taste like?

Spaghetti in red wine is simple, but rich, with a touch of acid from the wine. Think of it as an aglio e olio but with a hint of acidity (like you taste in lemon paste) and the warm richness of a good red wine. The butter adds a delicious creamy note, the crushed red peppers add a touch of spice, and the cheese adds umami and saltiness.

Where are spaghetti ubriachi from?

Drunken spaghetti is a classic Tuscan dish from the Umbria region of Italy. When the pasta is cooked in wine, the noodles turn a deep mahogany color and are left with a deep, bold, slightly sweet and tart umami flavor.

What kind of wine for spaghetti ubriachi?

In Tuscany, they use local red wine, such as something made from Sagrantino or Sangiovese grapes. Really, any red wine you like to drink will work well for this dish, since you'll be reducing it to nothing. It doesn't have to be expensive, and in fact, the first time we had this dish, I asked our server what kind of wine they used for the sauce and he kindly asked the kitchen. It turned out to be a GIANT box of wine that was the cheapest they could find.

How to make spaghetti with red wine

Making spaghetti with red wine is simple but spectacular. The deep-hued paste fits into any dinner party or even as a special weeknight treat.

Heat the aromatics. In a large skillet, add olive oil, butter, garlic, and chili flakes. Gently heat the aromatics over medium heat, stirring, until the garlic is soft but not brown and everything smells amazing.

Reduce the wine. Add the wine to the aromatics, raise the heat and reduce until you have a slightly thick sauce. Your goal is to reduce by two-thirds, so take note of how high the wine rises in the pan.

Cook the pasta. While the sauce is reducing, cook the pasta according to the package directions, 3 minutes before it's al dente because we're going to finish cooking the pasta in the wine sauce so all the deliciousness is absorbed.

Finish the pasta in the wine. Wear a pair of flip flops and scoop the pasta directly from the water into the pan with the wine sauce (once it has reduced enough). Add a little butter and a touch of soy sauce and bring everything to a simmer. Cook the pasta until al dente, stirring as necessary, until the sauce is glossy and coats each strand of spaghetti.

Put cheese on it. Remove the pasta from the heat and add the cheese to finish. Toss, let the cheese melt, and coat the spaghetti, loosening it with a little starchy pasta water if necessary.

Plan. Toss the spaghetti onto a plate and finish with freshly ground black pepper, more cheese and a generous drizzle of really good olive oil. Enjoy!

Our spaghetti with red wine

We deviate a little from the classic version to make this umami even more appealing and delicious. Our secret ingredient is soy sauce! It adds just the right amount of salt and umami and gives it everything and a little more oomph. There's only a little bit, but it makes a big difference in bringing out the salty umami of the parmesan.

Ingredients for spaghetti in red wine

There are only 8 ingredients which makes this a super simple dinner, shopping wise it's basically a pantry meal!

• olive oil – If you want to be fancy, opt for two different types of olive oil, one that you use for cooking and one that you use to finish. A cooking olive oil is more affordable than a high-end finishing oil. In this recipe, you can use your standard cooking olive oil—we usually look for something like Filippio Berio or California Olive Ranch, which are super wallet-friendly and available in most grocery stores. You can also finish your pasta with it, but if you want a little extra luxury, choose an olive oil to finish. Finishing olive oils vary quite a bit in flavor, from spicy and bold to fruity and smooth, so it's best to choose one whose flavor you love.
• Garlic – 4 cloves of garlic add a mild garlic sweetness and base note. If you are a garlic lover, feel free to add more.
• Chili flakes – Just a little chili flakes to bring out the heat and warmth.
• Manteca – We are going to use this to emulsify the wine into a beautiful glossy sauce. Choose an unsalted grass-fed butter if you can, otherwise butter in the refrigerator works fine.
• Spaghetti – This is pretty standard, you want to choose a dry spaghetti instead of a fresh pasta here because the pasta finishes cooking in the sauce and a dry spaghetti keeps better.
• Red wine – What we are looking for here is a pretty but not too pretty bottle, see notes above.
• Soy sauce – Just a little soy sauce to up the umami. We like to use Yamasa.
• Parmesan – This has to be the real things you reward for yourself, nothing from the green bottle! Have a nice slice of Parmigiano Reggiano, your taste buds will thank you.

What to serve with spaghetti in red wine

Serve this with a bright and invigorating kale salad and some sourdough focaccia or soft garlic rolls for the ultimate in Italian comfort food.

Hopefully a red wine night is in your future!
lol steph

Spaghetti in red wine

Spaghetti ubriachi is rich and creamy, slightly tart, and absolutely addictive.

Serves 2

Preparation time 5 minutes

Cook time 25 minutes

Total time 30 minutes

• 2 tablespoons olive oil plus extra to finish
• 6 cloves of garlic finely diluted
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more as desired
• 4 tablespoons of butter
• 8 ounces spaghetti
• 1.5 cups of red wine
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1/4 cup of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese finely grated

• Add the olive oil, garlic, chili flakes, and 1 tablespoon butter to a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is soft but not brown, about 3 minutes.

• Add the wine and increase the heat to medium high and simmer until it begins to reduce.

• While the sauce is cooking, cook the pasta 3 minutes before it is al dente. Remove the spaghetti directly from the cooking water using flip flops and place in the reduced wine sauce.

• Add the remaining butter and soy sauce and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the pasta is glossy and well coated.

• Remove the pasta from the heat and add the cheese, stirring so it melts evenly. If necessary, add pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time to help melt the cheese evenly.

• Serve topped with freshly ground pepper and a drizzle of olive oil to finish. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Spaghetti in red wine

Amount per proportion

Calories 872 calories from fat 370

%Daily value*

fat 41,1g63%

Saturated Fat 18.4g115%

Cholesterol 69 mg23%

Sodium 411 mg18%

Potassium 421 mg12%

carbohydrates 91,2g30%

Fiber 3.9gsixteen%

Sugar 3,8g4%

protein 19,4g39%

*Percent Daily Values ​​are based on a 2000 calorie diet.