Red Wine Spaghetti With Bacon

Red wine spaghetti with bacon

(Recipe: Anél Potgieter)

1 bottle dry red wine (merlot)
3-4 tablespoons Olive Pride Extra Virtin Olive Oil
150 g bacon, cut in small pieces
1 onion, sliced thinly
4 large garlic cloves, grated
pinch of red-pepper flakes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 packet of spaghetti
2 tablespoons butter
100g parmesan cheese, grated
basil leaves, for garnish
salt and pepper

Put a large pot of well-salted water over high heat. Add one cup of wine and bring to boil. Cook spaghetti in this water for 2 minutes less than the packet instruction. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, and drain the pasta.

Heat olive oil over medium. Add bacon and fry until brown. Add onion and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Add garlic, red-pepper flakes and tomato paste, and stir to distribute. Add the remaining red wine and turn flame to high. Let wine reduce rapidly by half, about 10 minutes. Turn off heat.
Add pasta to the red wine mixture in the pan and turn heat to medium-high. Let pasta wilt into the sauce and continue cooking, stirring, as pasta absorbs the sauce. The spaghetti should be correctly al dente within a few minutes and the sauce should coat the pasta. Add a little pasta cooking water if sauce gets too thick.
Stir in the butter and half the grated cheese and toss well. Taste a noodle, and add a sprinkling of salt to the pan if necessary. Toss once more and transfer to a warm serving dish. Garnish with basil leaves.