I’ve been working on a wine sauce
- Scott Daniels: We Ate Well and Cheaply
- May 10, 2024
- 453
I’ve made so many batches of marinara sauce I could do it in my sleep. It’s one of our favorite things to make, and though we’ve tried many variations and various recipes, the one we’ve narrowed it down to is delicious, though close competitors are those that are simply tomatoes, an onion and some butter.
Having tired of red sauce, I’ve been working on a creamy wine sauce for a while, and it’s the new favorite. It’s quite simple and takes no time to put together. You can serve it as is or add some grilled chicken for something a little heartier. If you add chicken, I like to do that separately. I sear chicken breast slices in olive oil, salt and pepper, and perhaps a light spice mixture. Once they’re browned, I like to add a third cup of dry white wine and let that cook until a natural sauce develops as it reduces. After resting a few minutes, cut the chicken into smaller bits and serve on top of the finished pasta dish.
The pasta you use here matters. It’s too robust for angel hair spaghetti. In fact, large-ish shells are ideal as they hold the sauce well. Just be sure to drain it carefully to avoid a soupy finished plate. Shells will take a while to cook, usually a good 15 minutes, so the pasta can be started ahead of the sauce. While some cooks don’t add olive oil to pasta cooking water, I find it adds flavor and doesn’t cause the sauce to slip off. In fact, I douse cooked pasta with more oil after draining. The hot pasta soaks up the fruitiness of the oil.
I’ve also learned something again. We ran out of Diamond Crystal kosher salt and had to fall back to the pink Himalayan salt we had on hand. It didn’t take much of it to over salt things, so it’s a good time to stress the value of cooking with kosher salt. It’s much less likely to get you into salty trouble. This dish is easy to over-salt, as the cheese and the mustard add their own tartness.
PASTA WITH CREAMY PARMESAN SAUCE
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium shallot, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon flavorful whole grain mustard
1 cup dry white wine, such as a chardonnay
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
2 dried bay leaves
Small pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 pint heavy cream
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
One bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Fill a large pot with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and add a good few tablespoons of kosher salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Cook the pasta according to package directions.
Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the olive oil and wait until it shimmers a bit. Add the shallots and cook, stirring until softened, about 1 minute. Add the garlic and stir again, taking care it doesn’t brown. Add the mustard and stir to blend, then the white wine, herbs, pepper flakes and bay leaves. Add a bit of salt and pepper. Let this cook at a low boil until nearly reduced by half. Swirl in the cream and return to a boil, cooking until thickened a bit. Add the cheese and stir to melt, then the parsley. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. If the sauce gets too thick, add some of the pasta cooking water to thin it out, being careful again about salt.
Drain the finished pasta and add to the sauce, tossing to coat. Serve with a sprinkling of additional flat leaf parsley.