WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS A plate of al dente pasta with peppery arugula, rich pancetta, toasted pine nuts, and salty Pecorino Romano sounds like a perfect dish to pair with a glass of white wine. Well, in this case, we actually cooked the pasta in the wine, exploiting this natural affinity to its fullest. The concept is not without precedent. There’s an Italian dish called spaghetti al vino rosso, made with red wine. And stirring rice in a winespiked broth as it cooks transforms it from a blank slate into a complex and wonderful risotto. So, we reduced about a third of a bottle of white wine to a glaze in a skillet while the spaghetti parcooked in a pot of boiling water. Then we introduced the spaghetti to the delicate glaze and added the remainder of the bottle gradually, stirring as the spaghetti finished
cooking. Stirring in assertive arugula, a bit of the pasta-cooking water, and some cream created our simple, satisfying sauce. Pancetta, pine nuts, and grated Pecorino sprinkled over the pasta before serving were shoo-ins. For this dish, use a good-quality dry white wine that’s not heavily oaked.
Serves 4 to 6
TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 4 ounces pancetta, cut into ¼-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 bottle (750 ml) dry white wine
- Salt and pepper
- Sugar
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 5 ounces (5 cups) baby arugula
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 1 ounce Pecorino Romano, grated (½ cup), plus extra for serving
- ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted and chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
- Cook pancetta and oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until pancetta is browned and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towel–lined plate. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, stir in garlic and pepper flakes, and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic begins to turn golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully add 1½ cups wine and increase heat to medium-high. Cook until wine is reduced to ½ cup, 8 to 10 minutes. Add ½ teaspoon salt and season with sugar to taste (add sugar as needed in 1-teaspoon increments).
- Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until pasta is flexible but not fully cooked, about 4 minutes. Reserve 2 cups pasta water, then drain pasta.
- Transfer pasta to skillet with reduced white wine and add ½ cup unreduced wine. Cook over medium heat, tossing pasta constantly, until wine is fully absorbed. Add remaining wine, ½ cup at a time, tossing pasta constantly, until pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes. (If wine is absorbed before spaghetti is fully cooked, add ½ cup reserved pasta water at a time to skillet and continue to cook.)
- Off heat, top spaghetti with arugula. Pour ¼ cup reserved pasta water over arugula, cover, and let stand for 1 minute. Add cream and ¼ cup Pecorino Romano, tossing until pasta is lightly coated with sauce and arugula is evenly distributed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer to serving platter and sprinkle with pancetta, remaining ¼ cup Pecorino Romano, and pine nuts.
- Serve immediately, passing extra Pecorino Romano separately.
