This past Thursday was shopping night, which (sadly for me) meant a trip to Costco, Target and Trader Joe's (my favorite of the three). The good thing that came from this, sans the necessity for the chores, was the inspiration a bottle of wine brought.
You see, Jake challenged me to practice what I preach. We found this amazing bottle of Amarone della Valpolicella (see wine primer after recipe), at Costco, and yet I had my eye on this yummy honey smoked wild salmon. I was trying to figure out how to make them work together. Jake reminded me that I needed to refocus, get my mind off my cravings and do what was best for the wine... after all, in the end it's always about the wine... or at least it should be!
The following recipe is the result of my Jake-monishment! Oh, and this recipe is inspired and adapted from my dear friend and owner of Tucalata Creek Ranch Wines - Kay Needle. She may have some adjustments that I'm sure will improve this wonderful dish... who knows maybe she'll share her story for this dish and the place it holds in her family's holiday traditions. Hopefully, she'll also recommend a great wine from their winery!
You see, Jake challenged me to practice what I preach. We found this amazing bottle of Amarone della Valpolicella (see wine primer after recipe), at Costco, and yet I had my eye on this yummy honey smoked wild salmon. I was trying to figure out how to make them work together. Jake reminded me that I needed to refocus, get my mind off my cravings and do what was best for the wine... after all, in the end it's always about the wine... or at least it should be!
The following recipe is the result of my Jake-monishment! Oh, and this recipe is inspired and adapted from my dear friend and owner of Tucalata Creek Ranch Wines - Kay Needle. She may have some adjustments that I'm sure will improve this wonderful dish... who knows maybe she'll share her story for this dish and the place it holds in her family's holiday traditions. Hopefully, she'll also recommend a great wine from their winery!
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| Penne Pasta alla Puttanesca e Arugala
MUCH MORE AFTER THE BREAK
Penne Pasta alla Puttanesca e Arugula
Method: Saute Italian sausage over medium heat until browned. Remove
sausage from pan; drain excess oil. Using same sauté pan, deglaze pan with red
wine, add garlic and onions and sauté over med/low heat until soft. Once soft,
add sundried tomatoes, capers, crushed tomatoes, herbs and reserved sausage.
Allow to simmer over low heat until ready to serve (approximately 20 minutes).
While sauce is simmering, cook pasta.
Plating: Once pasta is cooked al dente, drain and toss with olive
oil, reserve for plating. Portion
desired amount of pasta on plate, top with mound of arugula and spoon sauce on
top, dust with grated cheese and devour!
Wine Pairing: This pasta dish is loaded with traditional
Tuscan Italian flavors, so a good Chianti, Super Tuscan or Brunello di Montalcino
would be wonderful, but if you want to dance a new jig, try an Amorone di
Valpolicella. Amorone is a rich seductive wine.
Amarone has a nose that offers dark fruit, violets and
smooth chocolate. The palate explodes with ripe plums, currants, and blackberries,
the mid-palate introduces subtle spice, flint, graphite, and cedar, the finish
is smooth, with gentle bitter notes and lingering spice.
Amarone excerpt from Tastes of Italia
|
"Italy offers so many wonderful choices in wines. It seems that each region or province has something special to offer. Discovering all the wines Italy offers the world could be a full time job! One of the most interesting, and a bucket list finalist, should be Amarone della Valpolicella, commonly referred to as Amarone.
Amarone is a rich, dry red wine made with three of the thousands of traditional Italian wine grapes you’ve probably never heard of: Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara. However, the type of grapes used is far less important than the way the wine is made.
Amarone is made after these grapes are harvested and partially dried. The grapes are generally harvested in early October. The bunches chosen for harvest can’t be too close together; they need space for airflow, thus avoiding extra moisture that can lead to mold while drying. Traditionally they were air dried on straw mats; this process is called rasinate (to dry and shrivel). The process allows the fruit to concentrate its sugars and flavors making a much richer wine. Today the process is similar, only in more air-controlled facilities to further avoid the dreaded mold that can ruin the process.
The fruit is typically left to dry for about 120 days. Then sometime in February the fruit is crushed and allowed to go through a very slow, cool fermentation that can last up to 50 days. After fermentation the wine is aged in oak barrels; they are generally not released until 5 years after vintage. Amorone’s are rich, lush, loaded with dense, extracted fruit, and have nice cedar laced spice that starts in the mid-palate carrying through to a long smooth finish. If you’re not already a fan, I suspect you soon will be."
Amarone is a rich, dry red wine made with three of the thousands of traditional Italian wine grapes you’ve probably never heard of: Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara. However, the type of grapes used is far less important than the way the wine is made.
Amarone is made after these grapes are harvested and partially dried. The grapes are generally harvested in early October. The bunches chosen for harvest can’t be too close together; they need space for airflow, thus avoiding extra moisture that can lead to mold while drying. Traditionally they were air dried on straw mats; this process is called rasinate (to dry and shrivel). The process allows the fruit to concentrate its sugars and flavors making a much richer wine. Today the process is similar, only in more air-controlled facilities to further avoid the dreaded mold that can ruin the process.
The fruit is typically left to dry for about 120 days. Then sometime in February the fruit is crushed and allowed to go through a very slow, cool fermentation that can last up to 50 days. After fermentation the wine is aged in oak barrels; they are generally not released until 5 years after vintage. Amorone’s are rich, lush, loaded with dense, extracted fruit, and have nice cedar laced spice that starts in the mid-palate carrying through to a long smooth finish. If you’re not already a fan, I suspect you soon will be."
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