There isn’t much that can’t be improved by a tipple or two, especially when the drink in question is scarlet red wine. If you’re seeking a way to infuse your Valentine’s Day dinner with more romantic hues, this simple pasta dish will redden up your table right quick. Most importantly, you’ll still have wine left over for drinking out of a proper glass afterwards. I find that adding water to the cooking liquid mutes the red wine flavor, so if you can, boil the pasta in straight wine without diluting it. In addition, adding even more wine to the bacon and garlic helps continue that flavor in the pan sauce, as it would be a shame to let all that crimson quality slip away. The end result is a savory, slightly tangy and ultimately schnockered spin on celebratory linguine. Forks and bottoms up!
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Tippled Red Wine Linguine
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
Description
A savory and slightly tangy linguine dish infused with the rich flavor of red wine, perfect for a romantic dinner.
Ingredients
- 3 cups (720 ml) red wine, plus 1/4 cup (60 ml)
- Salt, to taste
- 1/2 lb (225 g) linguine
- 4 slices bacon
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Dash red chili flakes
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) grated pecorino romano
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
Instructions
- Bring 3 cups of red wine to a boil in a pot, adding salt to taste.
- Add the linguine to the boiling wine and cook until al dente, according to package instructions.
- Meanwhile, slice the bacon strips into lardons and fry them in a pan over medium heat until crisp.
- Add the minced garlic and a dash of red chili flakes to the bacon, cooking for an additional minute until fragrant.
- Pour in the remaining 1/4 cup of red wine into the pan with the bacon and garlic, allowing it to reduce slightly.
- Drain the linguine, reserving a small amount of the cooking wine.
- Toss the linguine with the bacon mixture, adding reserved wine if needed to moisten.
- Stir in the grated pecorino romano and chopped parsley, mixing until well combined.
- Serve immediately, garnished with additional parsley if desired.
Notes
- For a stronger wine flavor, avoid diluting the wine with water when boiling the pasta.
- You can use any type of red wine you enjoy drinking.
- Leftover wine can be enjoyed with the meal.
- Adjust the amount of chili flakes to your spice preference.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 650
- Sugar: 3
- Sodium: 950
- Fat: 25
- Carbohydrates: 72
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 28
- Cholesterol: 40
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- Grilled Red Wine BBQ Pork Ribs
- Pressure Cooker Red Wine Lamb Shanks
- Beef Short Rib and Red Wine Risotto
- Red Wine Beef with Pink Peppercorns
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the recipe cook the pasta in straight red wine instead of salted water?
The article is explicit on this point: adding water to the cooking liquid mutes the red wine flavor, so the recipe calls for boiling 3 cups (720 ml) of wine directly, with no dilution. The starchy pasta absorbs the wine as it cooks, turning deep crimson and carrying that flavor into every bite.
What type of red wine works best here?
The notes say you can use any red wine you enjoy drinking — since the pasta absorbs it fully, a rough or unpleasant wine will transfer that quality to the dish. A medium-bodied, dry red like Chianti or Côtes du Rhône works well and leaves you enough of the bottle to drink alongside. 
How does the additional quarter-cup of wine added to the bacon-garlic pan affect the dish?
After crisping the bacon lardons and cooking the minced garlic for a minute, the recipe adds 1/4 cup (60 ml) of red wine to the pan to deglaze and build the sauce. The article notes this step continues the wine flavor through the whole dish, rather than letting the crimson quality “slip away” once the pasta is drained.
