Red Wine Pasta Recipe Looks Impressive But Is Actually Simple to Make

It is the rare recipe that looks complicated and impressive but is actually so simple to make. This eye catching, ruby red pasta is always the star of a party." That's the promise behind TODAY's Drunken Spaghetti (Red Wine Pasta), published March 19, 2026, and it's one worth taking seriously. The trick: you cook the pasta directly in an entire bottle of red wine, which stains every strand a deep, striking burgundy. The visual payoff is enormous. The effort required is not.

What Makes This Recipe Work

The concept has Italian roots. Traditional spaghetti all'ubriaco is widespread throughout Italy, though its origins are most often attributed to Tuscany, where it's particularly popular and good red wine abounds. The wives of vineyard employees, having had access to lots of scarti (leftover wine), devised this local traditional dish, also known as pasta alla Chiantigiana.

TODAY's version strips the technique down to its essentials: a handful of pantry staples, one skillet, and a bottle of wine you're willing to cook with rather than sip. The ease of this extra-special pasta recipe makes it an instant favorite for holiday dinners spent with loved ones. You can whip it up on a busy weeknight or save it for a dinner party; either way, it's sure to wow (and its simplicity can be your little secret).

The Ingredient List

The core of the recipe is intentionally short. To make it, add butter and garlic to a large straight-sided skillet and sauté until brown. Add an entire bottle of red wine (we recommend a light-bodied varietal here) and bring to a boil with a bit of water. Once bubbles break the surface, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Finish with even more butter, pine nuts, cheese, lemon juice and herbs.

Beyond the spaghetti, butter, garlic, and salt, the recipe calls for a few items that may require a quick store run: pine nuts, feta cheese, a whole lemon, and fresh basil. These toppings are what push the dish from "interesting" to genuinely impressive, adding crunch, brine, brightness, and fragrance to that deeply savory, wine-soaked pasta.

On the wine itself: TODAY recommends a light-bodied varietal for the cooking liquid. In Tuscany, Chianti is the most popular wine of choice, and they often call this dish spaghetti al Chianti. Both a Chianti or a comparable light-bodied red are solid choices here. The key is not to overthink it. What is particularly wonderful about this dish is that it works well with wine that has been sitting around for a few days and you're desperate to get rid of.

Step-by-Step Method

This is a true one-pot recipe, built entirely in a large straight-sided skillet. Here's how the process flows:

The whole process clocks in at roughly 15 minutes, which makes it genuinely weeknight-viable, not just theoretically so.

The Technique Tip You Shouldn't Skip

Different pasta shapes absorb liquid at different rates, and this is where some cooks get tripped up. Depending on the pasta you are using, you may need to add up to two more cups of water as you cook. If the pasta has absorbed the liquid but still isn't quite done to your liking: add another half a cup at a time until it is done.

This is basically the same logic as risotto: you're managing absorption rather than boiling in a large excess of water. Keep a measuring cup nearby and check the skillet as the pasta cooks. The goal is al dente noodles that are deeply stained and glossy with wine-infused butter, not gummy strands sitting in a pool of liquid.

Swaps and Substitutions

The toppings are flexible, which matters if you're pulling this together last-minute or cooking for dietary restrictions. The toppings can be easily swapped. Specifically:

• Pine nuts can be replaced with almonds or walnuts
• Fresh basil can be swapped for parsley if that's what you have
• For a dairy-free version, leave the feta off entirely and compensate with more lemon and extra nuts or basil

The acid from the lemon does a lot of the lifting that the cheese would otherwise handle, so don't skip it if you're going dairy-free.

When to Make It

The ruby color alone justifies pulling this out for a dinner party, a holiday table, or any occasion where you want something that reads as effort without actually being difficult. It photographs beautifully, it scales reasonably well, and the ingredients are cheap. Known as spaghetti all'ubriaco here in Italy, this simple but elegant red wine pasta recipe is a fabulous choice for special occasions like Valentine's or Christmas.

That said, the 15-minute timeline means it's just as valid on a random Tuesday. The secret, as TODAY puts it, is entirely yours to keep.