Gnocchi in a Red Wine & Scotch Sauce - A "Spirited" Fare

Spirited Cooking! Gee, Cheeky as it sounds - this pasta was a finger-licking proof of a spirited fare on the platter. There is something about adding alcohol into cooking - it elevates the feel of the dish to another level and the flavor and aroma it gives, gets your taste buds tingling. It goes without saying that the content of alcohol in the final output depends upon the type of spirit used, how much of the liquid was plopped, how long was it cooked, what method of cooking was employed etc. In this pasta dish 2 shot glasses of red wine and a shot glass of whiskey was plopped for making the sauce. The dish did not scream the use of these tipsy liquids but the taste was a total knock out!  

Yes, I am back with another Pasta dish. It is surprising how the varied forms of dried pasta has woven magic in to my household. Not a fortnight goes when at least one pasta dish makes an appearance on the table. This week the small dumpling like pasta made of durum wheat was the collective choice.

Before I go on and on about how this dish tasted let me tell you that the dish though originally my brain child was seen to its perfect execution by hubby dearest. What actually happened was, Sreeram got excited about the inclusion of the booze and decided to don the apron himself. Well, who am I to complain! But let me remind you once again that it was me who thought of the long forgotten whiskey & red wine bottles :D That brings me to the star of the dishes - half finished bottles of red wine and scotch whiskey was vying for attention and bingo the pasta dish was gonna be their spot in the sunshine!

Pasta all glammed up never looked and tasted this Uber-Cool !

• Gnocchi - 300 grams
• Olive Oil - 3 tbsp
• Shallots - 100 gms
• Green Pepper - 1 (diced)
• Garlic - 6 to 7 big pods (thinly sliced)
• Oregano - 3 to 4 tbsp
• Thyme - 1 to 2 tbsp
• Tomato - 400 grams
• Red Wine - 120 ml
• Whiskey - 60 ml
• Milk - 100 ml
• Black & Green Olives - 50 gms each (deseeded)
• Dried Basil - 1 to 2 tbsp
• Chilly Flakes -  2 to 3 tbsp (to taste)
• Mozarella Cheese - 200 grams
• Salt and pepper to taste

Here's How:-

The pasta of my choice was Gnocchi. Cook the pasta as per the instructions on the pan. Well to quickly sum it up boil enough water in a wide pan to cover the pasta . Add some salt and some olive oil as it boils up and tip in the dried pasta. Stir it every once in a while to give it enough space for getting cooked. And just cook it al-dente. The pasta will offer little resistance when poked in to it. At this point take it off flame and drain the pasta. Refresh it in cold water and apply a little olive oil evenly to ensure that it does not stick to each other. You can retain a little of the starch water to add to the sauce later. 

In a thick bottomed pan, add the oil and as it warms up tip in the shallots, green pepper and the garlic. Saute it for a few minutes . Add the spice mix of oregano, thyme, chilly flakes and basil. Retain some of the oregano and chilly flakes to add finally. Add salt and pepper to taste. Once the raw smell goes away add the diced tomatoes and saute it for a few minutes till they are evenly cooked. Add the red wine and whiskey and let it simmer for a few minutes till the rawness goes away and the sauce is well cooked. Now add the milk and half of the cheese and cook for some time till the sauce is thick. Finally add the cooked pasta, remaining cheese, olives and give it a good toss. Now add the remaining oregano and chilly flakes and serve hot.

E.N.J.O.Y !