Spaghetti with White Wine Garlic Sauce
This Spaghetti with White Wine Garlic Sauce is tasty enough for a family feast, or just a casual night sitting by the fireplace!
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You guys should know by now how much I love comfort food. (A big bowl of soup on a blustery winter day is pretty much my happy place!) But I also love Italian food. Laura is half-Italian, and I consider myself to be 100% Italian at heart. This week, we’re taking a bit of time off to recharge the batteries…and we’re making several of our favorite Italian dishes.
Back last century (man, am I really that old?), I studied in Rome for a summer. I’ve always been fascinated by Roman history, so the chance to live in Rome for a couple of months was amazing. Aside from the academic side of the trip, we had to learn how to live in a foreign city. We learned how to navigate the bus system as well as where to find the closest gelato shop (right around the corner!). We lived in a dormitory of sorts located in a residential area of Rome. The first floor of the building had a computer lab, a commons area, a dining room and a kitchen while the top two floors were individual rooms. An Italian couple lived on site with their two children, and they handled general maintenance as well as cooking meals for us.
Prior to that, Italian food always meant pasta and red sauce. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good pasta + red sauce! But there are so many other flavor profiles you can create, too. Take for instance, this Spaghetti with White Wine Garlic Sauce. It sounds super fancy…like something you might order at a restaurant. But it’s really not that hard to make at all! In fact, this entire meal (shrimp included) can be made while the spaghetti is cooking.
Many years ago, I heard a professional chef offer a great piece of advice when it comes to cooking Italian food. Italian food is often quite simple, and it uses just a few ingredients. So you should always use the best ingredients you can afford. Grate real Parmesan cheese. Use real lemon juice. Use a wine that you wouldn’t mind drinking. And use De Cecco pasta. Not all pasta is created the same, and De Cecco is a premium Italian pasta made from a family recipe that dates back over 130 years to the Abruzzo region of Italy. De Cecco pasta is made exclusively with durum semolina and spring water. Durum semolina is coarser than the traditional, finely-ground flour, which is used in many other store-bought pastas. De Cecco pasta cooks perfectly and holds its shape. Even if you lose track of time and overcook it by a minute or two, it won’t turn mushy. Authentic Italian food just requires authentic Italian pasta, ya know?
Laura actually helped come up with this recipe as she is a huge fan of Spaghetti with White Wine Garlic Sauce. If I’ve learned nothing else in our 6+ years of marriage, it’s that you should always listen when your Italian wife suggests an Italian recipe. And you know what? She knows her stuff! The fresh lemon juice and artichoke hearts in this dish are the perfect complement to the garlic + white wine sauce. We actually enjoyed this recipe so much that we made it two nights in a row. Yeah, it’s that good!
Hopefully you’re relaxing and winding down this week after a busy Christmas season. Might I suggest this Spaghetti with White Wine Garlic Sauce as an easy and tasty meal? It’s good enough for a family feast, or just a casual night sitting by the fireplace. Enjoy, my friends!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of De Cecco. The opinions and text are all mine.
Spaghetti with White Wine Garlic Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 16-oz. box De Cecco spaghetti
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ pound asparagus spears chopped into 1” pieces
- 2½ tsp garlic minced
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice ~1 large lemon
- ½ cup dry white wine i.e. Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 14-oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
- 1 pound jumbo shrimp peeled and deveined
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ⅓ cup Italian parsley chopped
- 2 Tbsp lemon zest ~2 large lemons
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
Instructions
- Cook spaghetti in salted water according to package instructions; drain pasta and set aside. (Note: After cooking, reserve ½ cup of the pasta water.)
- Meanwhile, add olive oil to a large skillet and place over medium heat. Once hot, add asparagus and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and continue sautéing for 1-2 more minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add lemon juice, white wine, butter, artichokes and shrimp to skillet. Increase heat slightly and simmer for 5-7 minutes, or until liquid has reduced by about half and shrimp are opaque in the center and fully cooked.
- Add ¼ cup of reserved pasta water along with the salt, pepper, parsley and lemon zest; stir until well combined. Add Parmesan cheese and cooked spaghetti, tossing until well coated. Stir in cherry tomatoes.
Hi David! What a welcome recipe! I am back in pasta and seafood craving mode and this dish fills the bill! I made fettucini alfredo with clams last night and I think this is going to be coming up very soon! And a nice glass of wine would certainly be appropriate to have with it!
Fettucini alfredo with clams sounds like an amazing dish, Dorothy! I have a serious love for alfredo sauce. 🙂 This white wine garlic sauce is pretty darn amazing, too…and this pasta is definitely our new favorite around here. In fact, Laura has told me it’s the only brand I’m allowed to buy now! 🙂 I hope you and Gary had an amazing New Year’s Eve/Day, and here’s to a fun and fruitful 2017!
I do have a tendency to overcook pasta so I am so glad to hear that De Cecco is a “forgiving” pasta. Dude, I sat in on a demo by NYC chef and restaurant owner Marc Forgione, and that boy said the same thing about fresh, simple, good quality ingredients! Fantastic combo of flavors – So glad Laura stepped out of her role as creative director and put on your chef hat for this one! 🙂
I hope the two of y’all are enjoying some quality time together and all 3 of y’all have a happy and healthy New Year!
Oh man, this pasta was awesome, Shashi! We enjoyed it the first night, but we really noticed how well it reheated for the leftovers. Usually reheated pasta just isn’t the same…but not this time. We’re huge fans now! 🙂 Haha…yeah, Laura stole my chef’s hat for this one. But that’s ok. When the Italian in your household offers to help cook an Italian meal, the answer is always yes! We did have a nice New Year’s Eve/Day around here, and I really hope you and lil Shashi did, too! Cheers to 2017 and more delicious food!
Omg this spaghetti! I’ve ate so much of it yet I feel like I MUST MAKE THIS.
Haha! Yes, you must make this one, Anne! My wife seriously was requesting more of this instead of the Christmas dinner leftovers that we had. It really is quick and easy…and super delicious! 🙂
I’m so envious every time you talk about living in Rome! I will almost always choose a garlic and white wine sauce with my pasta over a red and I hands down choose this dish! I hope you had a fantastic Christmas with your sweet little family and I wish you the best for 2017! Happy New Year!
Oh man, I would give anything to go back to those days, Rachelle! Heck, I’d even just take a vacation to Rome at this point. Or anywhere else besides snowy upstate New York. 🙂 This white wine garlic sauce really is one of our favorites around here, and Laura was requesting more of this instead of Christmas dinner leftovers. Hah! We had a great Christmas/New Year’s here, and I hope you did, too. Cheers to 2017 and more delicious food!!
I’m with you, quality ingredients is the way to go! I love good, simple comfort food and you can NEVER go wrong with pasta, in my opinion 😉 If you had this two nights in a row, it must really be good! Hubby and I would love to visit Italy one day….it’s one of those places we often talk about and I know if we did visit, we would love it and would want to try so much food and visit so many vineyards. It must have been such an amazing experience for you! Happy New Year to you guys! Looking forward to seeing more delicious recipes in 2017 🙂 !!
Yeah, I’m right there with ya, Dawn! Pasta is hands down one of my favorite meals…and there are so many ways you can prepare delicious pasta. This white wine garlic sauce is one of my favorites though…and I’d be ashamed to admit how many times we’ve eaten this one in the last week. (Hint: It’s a lot! But it’s just so good…haha!) I hope you, the hubby and the fur kid had a great New Year’s! Cheers to 2017 and more delicious food!!
I can never turn down a good pasta dish!! I would eat it for every meal if I could so I’m adding this to my list. Happy New Year!
I’m right there with ya, Ashley…pasta is totally a favorite around our house, too. Definitely put this one on your list…I promise it’s a good one!! Happy New Year to you and your husband! 🙂
In my book, a lot of authentic Italian recipes belong to comfort food. Pizza, risotto, bread, cheese pasta…well the list is endless. So you are kind of lucky to be in love with both comfort and Italian food. I mean, if you did love only salads and gluten free breads, your italian endeavors wouldn’t be as good as this delicious pasta. Well done, indeed!
You know…you’re right. Italian food and comfort food really are one in the same. And this pasta definitely counts in there as comfort food, Ben! I hope you guys have had a great New Year’s up there in Canada. Cheers to 2017 and more delicious food! 🙂
My hubby is going to love this recipe since he is a big fan of shrimp. BTW happy new year to you and your family. 🙂
Oh yes, this is definitely a good one for shrimp lovers, Puja! And this sauce is so easy to make, too. We’ve definitely eaten this meal a couple of times over the holiday break…it’s so tasty. Thank you so much for dropping by and commenting! 🙂
i love the recipe! nice and simple..
Thank you so much, Elsie! This is indeed a very easy…but very tasty…recipe! 🙂 I appreciate your comment. Enjoy!
I enjoy white wine sauces more than red sauces when it comes to pasta. I like to keep it fresh, light, and simple. This recipe is perfect for a cold winters night. I wish I studied abroad when I was in college. Rome sounds like an excellent place to complete a semester. I agree with using the best ingredients you can afford in simple recipes. I can only imagine how delicious this dish smells.
You know, I kinda agree with you, Mary! I do enjoy a good red sauce (it’s kinda comfort food to me), but it’s so easy to whip up a fun white wine sauce, too. We loved this one…and we ate it several times over the holiday break! 🙂 Hope your week is off to a great start, my friend!
We have a restaurant that serves chicken and sausage rustica with a garlic white wine sauce and I love it. I have been looking for just the sauce recipe and yours is close. How do you make just the sauce.
Hey there, Joyce! That chicken and sausage rustica sounds delicious. 🙂 As far as the sauce goes, you can make it as listed in the instructions…just leave out the asparagus, artichokes and shrimp. Of course, you’ll be able to shorten several of those steps, too, as you aren’t waiting on the asparagus/shrimp/etc. to cook. I hope this helps! And if you try it in your recipe, will you let me know how it turns out? That sounds like a recipe I’d love to try, too! Thanks so much!