I have always adored traveling in September. In Tuscany it is when all my favorite food festivals begin, which is why I love week-long programs starting now all through November.
This week we started with our first dinner at the Porcini Mushroom dinner run by the city swim team as a fund-raiser, not bad, why did I have to sell chocolate bars door-to-door?
Sunday we were at Solociccia, Dario Cecchini’s meat restaurant ( no steak) in Panzano for a food orgy followed by the wine festival in Greve in Chianti. Confession: we didn’t drink wine, everyone was in a food coma!
Monday was the market tour with tastings with Stefano Conti and Alessadro Baroni ( neighboring stands where I could easily set up a cot!)
Alessandro Baroni on the left- Stefano Conti on the right,
Our spectacular lunch was at another “butcher”restaurant Cipolla Rossa right around the corner from the Medici Chapel. I have not had a bad dish there but some of the things are so spectacular— I have them everytime I return. I am sharing a recipe today for one of the dishes which is no longer on the menu, but I teach everyone I can!!! Spaghetti di Vino– and it is DIVINE
Today we start our hands-on cooking classes at our villa and dining al fresco.
This is living the dream.
Here is my version of the recipe from Nicola, the chef at Cipolla Rossa in Florence.
Ingredients
- 1 pound of spaghetti (the best quality is from durum wheat and slow dried, with a rough finish that absorbs the sauce better)
- 2 cups red wine (try Merlot, a Cabernet might be to heavy)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and slice thinly ( not crushed)
- 2 small bird's eye chili
- Most good spaghetti takes 10 minutes to cook.
- Cook in salted water for 8 minutes and drain.
Instructions
- About half-way through cooking the spaghetti, start the oil mixture on low.
- Place the sliced garlic and the chili in the cold olive oil, THEN turn on the heat.
- This prevents the garlic from burning and really infuses the oil.
- Place the drained spaghetti in the oil and stir.
- Add 1/2 cup of the wine. Stir until the wine is absorbed.
- Add another 1/2 cup of wine, stirring.
- This part is like making a risotto. Add enough wine to give the spaghetti a great color and flavor. TASTE while cooking!