Drunken Spaghetti

I've had a half open bottle of Shiraz sitting on my counter for a few days (weeks?) There is no way I was going to drink it. But I felt like it would be a waste to throw it out. I mean, its from the vineyards of Mr. Coppola! So lets cook with it. Watching Food Network all day long has definitely introduced me to a lot of different foods, cooking techniques and ingredients. Cooking pasta in wine is one of them. I've never been a huge fan of pasta. It just seems like something to make when I have nothing else at home. But after last week's spaghetti and meatballs - I might have to change my outlook.

So tonight's "drunken pasta" is a pretty simple. Not a lot of ingredients, but full of flavor. I started out with emptying my wine in a pot. I added a bit more water to make sure I had enough liquid to boil pasta. Salt and bring to a rolling boil. Add pasta and cook to desired doneness. 

Meanwhile, chop garlic. A lot of garlic. Saute in butter and olive oil. Add red pepper flakes. 

Drain pasta and reserve about a cup of cooking liquid. Add pasta and liquid to garlic/pepper. Mix. Top with fresh basil and parmesan cheese. Enjoy!  

That's pretty easy, isn't it? And delicious! I love the color of the pasta, and the taste is slightly like red wine vinegar. Acidic, garlicky and filling. Yum!