From My Kitchen – Drunken Tuscan Pasta!

My husband is actually coming home at a reasonable time tonight, and he requested this dish for dinner.  It’s one of our favorites so I thought I would share… is it dinner time yet!?!

Drunken Tuscan Pasta

Source: Rachael Ray’s ‘Express Lane Meals’ Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 1 Bottle red table wine (I use 2-Buck-Chuck, Merlot)
• Course salt
• 1lb perciatelli, bucatini, or spaghetti (I use spaghetti)
• 3 TBS EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
• 1/4lb Pancetta
• 3 Portobello mushroom caps, thinly sliced
• 2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
• 4 Garlic cloves, chopped
• 2-3 pinches red pepper flakes
• 4-5 cups dark greens, your choice of chard, escarole, spinach or kale (I used baby spinach)
• Black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 TSP nutmeg
• Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (handful, plus some to pass at the table)

Directions:

Bring the entire bottle of red wine plus two bottles of water to a boil. Once boiling, add salt and spaghetti and cook until al dente, according to package instructions. (Note, you will need to ladle out some of the cooking liquid prior to draining the pasta.)

Meanwhile, heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 2 TBS EVOO, twice around the pan, then chop and add the pancetta. Brown the pieces until they are golden at the edges and transfer them to a paper-towel-lined plate. Add the mushrooms to the EVOO in the same skillet, season them with the chopped rosemary, and cook until they are deeply golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Push the mushrooms to the sides of the pan and add the remaining TBS EVOO to the center of the skillet. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the EVOO and cook them for a minute or so, then toss the mushrooms together with the garlic mixture. Add the greens to the pan and season them with salt, pepper, and the nutmeg. When the greens have wilted down, add a couple of ladles of the starchy pasta cooking liquid to the pan and cook for a minute to reduce it a little.

Drain the pasta well and add it to the skillet. (You may find it easier to add the skillet contents to the pasta pot… I did.) Add the pancetta and a handful of cheese to the pan. Toss the pasta for a minute or so to allow it to absorb the remaining liquid. Adjust the seasonings and serve.

Enjoy!