Spaghetti all’Ubriaco is the best Italian pasta dish you’ve never heard of. A classic dish from Tuscany, Spaghetti all’Ubriaco translates literally to “drunken spaghetti.” Although there’s no alcohol left in the finished dish, the wine imparts a deeply savory and complex flavor to this simple pasta. Most of the required ingredients are likely already in your pantry or refrigerator. Plus, it comes together in just 30 minutes, but tastes impressive enough to serve to guests. The starchy pasta water smooths the wine, oil, and butter into a silky-smooth sauce that coats the spaghetti. The wine stains the spaghetti into a gorgeous purple hue, and the salty cheese and crunchy almonds add just enough complexity to keep you coming back for more. Make this once, and you’ll be thinking about it for weeks. There’s really no better way to use leftover red wine, or better excuse to pop open a bottle…
Cooking the pasta just a few minutes under the suggested time keeps it from overcooking in the red wine sauce. As the pasta finishes cooking, the starch thickens and smooths the sauce. This is one simple step that really takes this dish to the next level of luxurious texture and flavor.
And lets talk about the toppings. I’m a big fan of having a variety of textures in my dishes – and this pasta is no exception. The pasta and sauce provides all the silky smooth softness, so the chopped almonds are a welcome pop of crunch and salt. The pecorino romano cheese adds just a touch of creaminess and a savory punch, all rounded out by a sprinkling of herby parsley. The dash of hot pepper flakes just barely wakes up your taste buds and livens up all the other flavors.
I hope you love this Spaghetti all’Ubriaco as much as I do! If you make this recipe, leave a comment and let me know what you thought or feel free to ask a question! I’d also love to see what you made! Tag me in your food pics @fortheperfectbite or use #fortheperfectbite on Instagram.
Spaghetti all’Ubriaco
Ingredients
- 1 lb spaghetti
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp salted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 2 cups red wine, Sangiovese, or any dry red wine
- ½ cup roasted almonds, coarsely chopped
- ½ cup pecorino romano, finely grated, plus extra for topping
- red pepper flakes, to taste
- parsley, chopped, to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and season generously with salt.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and salt.
- Saute the garlic until just starting to brown, then pour in the red wine.
- Bring the red wine sauce to a simmer.
- Boil the spaghetti for 2 minutes less than instructed by the package. Reserve a small amount of pasta water.
- After the pasta has boiled, spoon 2 tablespoons of pasta water into the simmering wine sauce.
- Add the al dente spaghetti to the wine sauce and simmer an additional 2-3 minutes while the sauce thickens and the pasta finishes cooking.
- When the sauce has mostly thickened and been absorbed by the pasta slightly, remove from the heat and stir in the chopped almonds, pecorino romano, parsley, and red pepper flakes to taste.
- Season to taste with any additonal salt or freshly cracked black pepper.
- Serve, with extra cheese for topping.
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