Seeing Red
There you are, going through life without a care in the world when you find something that stops you in your tracks. Its uniqueness is mind-blowing but then you sit back and think about the concept, and it actually makes sense—even though it is definitely out of the norm. This is what happened when I came across this recipe for Red Wine Spaghetti.

Everyone knows that to be able to eat it, pasta needs to be boiled in a liquid. More often than not, that liquid is water, although some type of stock works, too. But, what if you swapped out the water or stock for some other liquid? What if, now hear me out, you boiled it in wine?

Mind blown, right?

I found this recipe on the Food and Wine website and was immediately intrigued…mostly because of the use of red wine. White wine seemed a bit more logical but using red wine was totally rebellious in my mind. And, I have always loved a rebel.

So, if you’re feeling a bit mutinous or just want to color outside of the lines for a bit, channel your inner bad boy/girl and give this one a try!

Red Wine Spaghetti
Adapted from Food and Wine
Yields 4 servings

This recipe for Red Wine Spaghetti is a basic dried pasta simply boiled in red wine. It develops a complex flavor and looks beautiful plated. This is a great way to switch out your weekly pasta routine for something exciting!

Ingredients
5 cups water
3 1/4 cups dry red wine
Salt
3/4 pound spaghetti
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 small garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Prep the ingredients
Thinly slice the garlic cloves, chop the parsley, toast coarsely chop the walnuts, and grate the Parmigiana-Regiano.

Cook the pasta
Combine the water with 3 cups of the wine, a splash of olive oil, and a large pinch of salt in a large saucepan. Bring the water to a boil.

Add the spaghetti and cook, stirring, until it is al dente. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid.

Make the sauce
In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the garlic and red pepper and season it with salt. Cook over moderate heat (about 1 minute).

Add the remaining 1/4 cup of wine and the reserved cooking liquid and bring it to a simmer. Stir in the pasta and cook until the liquid is nearly absorbed (about 2 minutes). Add the parsley, walnuts, the 1/2-cup of grated cheese, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and toss.

Season the pasta with salt and pepper and serve, passing grated cheese at the table.