RED WINE SPAGHETTI

Red Wine Spaghetti image

Provided by Michael Tusk

Time 30m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

2 bottles red wine
6 1/2 cups water
4 ounces extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, split
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 teaspoon peperoncino (dried red chili flakes)
1/2 cup basil, fino verde and opal, torn
1/2 pound spaghetti, preferably Verrigni gold die cut
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano, freshly grated
salt

Steps:

Place the red wine in a large pot. Add an equal amount of water and bring to a rolling boil. While the wine-water is heating, Warm a 12-inch saute pan over low heat. Add the olive oil and the garlic. Toast the garlic, and when it has lightly browned on all sides and infused the oil, discard it. Add the cherry tomatoes and peperoncino and gently warm. Season with salt to taste, and turn off the heat.
When the wine-water liquid comes to a boil, add the spaghetti and cook the pasta for 8 minutes, or until very al dente and slightly underdone. Add a ladle-full of wine water to the tomatoes and gently stir to incorporate. When the time is up and the pasta is cooked, add the spaghetti to the pan with the tomatoes (do not discard the red wine water). Cook the spaghetti with the tomatoes and a drizzle of olive oil for about three minutes more, adding more of the wine-water mixture as necessary, until the spaghetti is cooked and a sauce has formed. Adjust seasoning. Because of the salt in the Pecorino Romano, be cautious with salt.
To finish, add the basil off the heat and serve immediately with the Pecorino Romano.