Food & Wine Pairing of the Week
Lemony Sundried Tomato and Artichoke Pasta
Happy Back to School Week!
Or should we say, Happy Back to Traffic Is A Mess, TTC Is Over-Crowded, Late for the 3rd Day in a Row, My Life Has Turned Upside Down Week.
Whether you have kiddies or not, or are going back to school yourself, this time of year always offers up plenty of challenges to snap us out of our laid back summer vibe.
With that in mind, we’re offering up a super easy and super quick, yet uber delicious recipe, paired to the big glass of wine you’ll definitely be needing.
Lemony sundried tomato and artichoke pasta
Serves 4
This was something Erin whipped up this weekend after coming back to an empty fridge and depleted pantry. But, necessity is the mother of invention, so grabbing a can of artichoke hearts, a jar of sundried tomatoes and a box of pasta, dinner was on the table in 15 minutes.
What You Need
- 1 can artichoke hearts, quartered
- 10 oil-packed sundried tomatoes, sliced
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest
- Chile pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 pack linguine (or pasta of choice)
- White wine
- 1/2 cup Parmesan, finely grated
How You Do It
- Put a pot large enough to hold pasta on to boil.
- While waiting for water to boil, mis en place you ingredients (slice tomatoes, quarter artichoke hearts, mince garlic etc.)
- When the water is boiling, generously salt the water and add pasta, cooking for 10 minutes or according to package directions.
- Heat a large sauté pan. When hot add tomato oil.
- Lightly sauté minced garlic in hot oil for 30 seconds or just until fragrant.
- Add artichokes, tomatoes and chile pepper, if using. Stir to combine.
- Deglaze hot pan with white wine and let reduce slightly.
- Add in a knob of butter.
- Bu now, 1p minutes is up and the pasta is done. Drain pasta, adding to artichoke mixture and toss to combine.
- Add lemon zest and parmesan and quickly stir, removing from heat and transferring to a large serving bowl or individual plates and serve with more cheese if desired.
The Wine Sisters’ Wine Pairing
Another reason this pasta is our pick for Back to School and the chaos that inevitably ensues, is that it can – and does – work with a number of wines: rose, sangiovese, chardonnay all make perfect table mates. But, because summer decided to strike (hello, 37 degree humidity) now, we went with a chilled, thirst quenching Soave.
La Cappuccina Soave, Veneto, Italy, 2013
$15.95 Vintages 81489
A favourite Soave, this is crisp and fresh with ripe peach, white flowers, and tangerine. Slightly creamy on the palate with bright acid, this is delightful on its own or with simply pasta dishes such as this.
How Did The Pairing Work?
Brilliantly. The butter in and cheese added moderate richness to the pasta which was cut by the wine’s bright acid. Soave also has a demure character, which makes it an easy dance partner for a number of dishes, but since this pasta is light, the wine let the pasta shine without dominating.