Spicy Penne Arrabbiata is a classic Italian dish full of juicy tomatoes, flavorful garlic, and lots of heat. It pairs wonderfully with a full-bodied Sangiovese wine.
What is Sangiovese wine?
What is Sangiovese wine?We’re excited to be sharing a NEW wine from our friends at Lewis Station Winery in Lake Mills, WI today!
Just last week, they released a full-bodied Sangiovese.
If you like wine and Italian food, you are probably more familiar than you think with Sangiovese, but under a different name. The Sangiovese grapes are the key component in Chianti.
The flavor of these grapes varies greatly depending on the soil they are grown in. Sangiovese grapes for Chianti are grown in a particular region of Tuscany, but Sangiovese grapes can be found throughout Italy and even into France, Argentina and the US, to name a few.
Depending on the region the grapes come from, a Sangiovese can sway from deep and earthy to big and fruit-forward.
We found Lewis Station’s Sangiovese to fall nicely in the middle, making it a very versatile wine. As we sipped, we had to agree, nearly any Italian dish that included tomatoes would be a perfect match for this incredibly juicy and very smooth wine.
Penne Arribaiata: Spicy Penne
We decided to pair the wine with a classic Italian dish, Penne all’Arribbiata.
This is an incredibly simple dish, with intense flavor from a sauce made entirely of fresh ingredients. Whole tomatoes, fresh garlic and red peppers are cooked in just enough olive oil to give a rich, restaurant-quality feel to this spicy tomato sauce.
And the wine?
The acidity of the tomatoes brightens its deep, juicy notes, while the spice and garlic accent its dryness.
The only thing missing was a warm Italian breeze and the view of a Tuscan vineyard.
Penne all'Arrabbiata (Spicy Penne)
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 cayenne pepper, chopped, or ½ - 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 lb Roma tomatoes, diced
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 8 oz whole wheat penne, dry
Instructions
- In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil. Add chopped garlic and sauté over medium heat until golden, 1-2 minutes.
- Add chopped peppers. (If using red pepper flakes, start with ½ tsp and add the additional ½ tsp as the sauce simmers, if you prefer a spicier sauce.) Sauté until the peppers are fragrant, 1 min.
- Add diced tomatoes and salt. Mix well and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
- While the sauce is thickening, bring a 1.5-2 quarts of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add pasta and simmer, uncovered, until the pasta is al dente, 7-9 min. Drain pasta when done.
- When sauce has thickened, add cooked, drained pasta to the sauce and toss to coat.
- Serve topped with fresh parsley.
Nutrition
Disclosure: We were provided with a sample of Lewis Station Winery’s Sangiovese mentioned in this post, but we were not compensated for our time. As always, all opinions expressed are our own.
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Sarah is one of Curious Cuisiniere’s founding duo. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.