Zinfandel Spaghetti

Recipe adapted from Michael Chiarello's Bottega (Chronicle Books)

Yield: 4 to 6 servings


INGREDIENTS

1½ pounds rapini (broccoli rabe)
1 pound spaghetti
1 bottle (750 ml) dry red wine, preferably Zinfandel
1 tablespoon sugar
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons thinly sliced garlic (about 4 cloves)
¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese


DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rapini and cook for 3 minutes or until just tender. Transfer the rapini to a baking sheet and let cool. In the same boiling water, cook the spaghetti, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. (The pasta will finish cooking in the Zinfandel.) Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and then drain the pasta and set it aside. Return the empty pasta pot to the stove.

2. Add the wine and sugar to the pasta pot. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until reduced by half, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the pasta and shake to prevent the pasta from sticking. Gently stir with tongs until coated and boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is absorbed and the pasta is al dente, about 4 to 5 minutes.

3. While the pasta cooks in the wine, heat a large, deep skillet over high heat. Add the olive oil, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the garlic until golden, about 3 minutes. Add the rapini, red-pepper flakes, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add ½ cup of the reserved pasta water, or more if desired, and stir to combine.

4. Add the rapini mixture to the pasta pot, toss gently and transfer to a platter. Sprinkle with the cheese and serve.

Dashi

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2009

Show: Good Eats
Episode: Pantry Raid XII: Turning Japanese

Cook Time: 25 min
Level: Intermediate
Yield: 2 quarts dashi

Ingredients

2 (4-inch) square pieces kombu (kelp)
2 1/2 quarts water
1/2-ounce bonito flakes or katsuobushi, about 2 cups

Directions

Put the kombu in a 4-quart saucepan, cover with the water and soak for 30 minutes.

Set the saucepan over medium heat until the water reaches 150 to 160 degrees F and small bubbles appear around the sides of the pan, 9 to 10 minutes.

Remove the kombu from the pan. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, 5 to 6 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the bonito flakes. Simmer gently, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes.

Strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer lined with muslin or several layers of cheesecloth. Reserve the bonito flakes for another use.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Use within 1 week or freeze for up to a month.

Drunken Donut

Recipe adapted from Alie Ward and Georgia Hardstark

Makes 1 serving

• Ice
• 2 ounces espresso-flavor vodka
• 1 ounce chocolate liqueur
• 1 ounce coffee liqueur
• 2 ounces chi$ed or room-temperature coffee
• Splash of hazelnut coffee creamer
• Donut hole

In a shaker with ice, add the espresso vodka, chocolate and coffee liqueurs, coffee and creamer, and shake until mixed and creamy. Pour into mugs. Slice the donut hole halfway through and perch on the lip of the mug.