Wine And Cheese

Like walking a tight rope of hope, navigating the frenzy around special occasion date nights can be tricky business. I'm looking at you, Valentine's Day. Whether it's a big night out at a fancy-shmancy restaurant, the comfort of a local dive bar, or the warmth of a cozy fireside meal, we all want something special, romantic, and memorable.  I totally get the hype and the hope. And while I'm  down with  the glitz, glam, and hoopla of a big night out, I'm also perfectly content with a simple low key riff on wine and cheese.

Drunken Red Wine Spaghetti With Gorgonzola Mousse.
Spaghetti cooked in red wine brings sexy to the table.

Whip It Up.
With a haunting pungent funk, the creamy buttery texture of blue-veined Italian gorgonzola dolce works magic when blended into a savory ethereal mousse.

After bringing 6 ounces gorgonzola  and 3 ounces cream cheese to room temperature, I used an old fashioned hand held mixer to whip them together until fully combined and set the mix aside.

Working with a chilled bowl and whisk on a stand mixer, I whipped 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream until soft peaks formed before adding 1 tablespoon sherry.  When the whipped cream formed stiff peaks, I gently folded the creamed gorgonzola into the whipped cream until it almost floated off my spatula, covered the mousse plastic wrap, and set it aside.

Lady And The Tramp.
Spaghetti. Plain old dried spaghetti. That's the happy dance here. As much as I love making fresh pasta, scratch made pasta doesn't work with this method. It cooks too quickly. Dried spaghetti needs time to absorb the wine as it cooks while remaining al dente. Total win.

With a bit of pot juggling, drunken spaghetti is simple and quick. Little effort. Big payoff.

Double duty.
Working over a medium flame,  I sauteed 2 minced shallots in 2 tablespoons olive oil in a wide high-sided saute pan. When the shallots turned translucent, I added 2 minced garlic cloves, a pinch of dried red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, salt, and cracked black pepper. After letting the garlic release into the oil, I hit the pan with a full bottle (750ml) of Cabernet-Sauvignon.

While the aromatic wine did its thing, I filled a large stock pot with water and bought it to a rolling boil before adding a handful of salt  and 1 pound dried spaghetti. After 3 minutes, I drained the pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta water, and feathered it into the simmering red wine. Once added to the wine, I cranked the heat to high and boiled the pasta for 6-8 minutes until tender (yet, still al dente) and the pasta absorbed the wine. After adding 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water and 1/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, I pulled the pasta from the heat and downed a glass of comforting Cabernet.

Twirl.
While the pasta was still warm, I used a large carving fork to twirl it into shape, piped the gorgonzola mousse to the side, and nestled  prosciutto-wrapped fresh Bartlett pears into the mousse before finishing with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, fresh parsley, and flaked sea salt.

Infused and stained with red wine, the pasta popped with robust earthy undertones. Faintingly light, the creamy mousse softened and swirled through the drunken spaghetti, tempering the tinge of heat from the red pepper flakes. While the parsley and olive oil added fruity grassiness.  the prosciutto-wrapped pears provided salty fresh crunch.

A little wine and cheese.
A little unexpected.

Fabulous.