I Love to Cook with Wine

"I love to cook with wine," the tile in my kitchen proclaims, "Sometimes I even put it in the food." I laughed when I bought it, because it's close to the truth. The fact is, I do love to cook with wine and I am always looking for new ways to incorporate it into my cooking. Tonight's meal was a good example.

Butternut squash ravioli are one of my favorite ravioli, except I have never been able to find a sauce that pairs well and is light. I have made many variations of browned-butter and sage sauce, but it's just too heavy for my taste. I've tried several lighter cream sauces, but they seemed innocuous compared to the rich flavor of the butternut squash. After several hours of pondering this afternoon, it occurred to me that a red wine reduction might pair well, particularly if made with the right wine. So here is what I developed:

Fran's Red Wine Reduction for Pasta
1 large sweet onion, sliced
2 Tbl lemon-infused olive oil
2 Tbl fresh thyme, removed from sprigs (or just chop up several sprigs)
1 bay leaf
2 C red wine, Merlot or Pinot Noir work well, should be fairly fruity
2 C chicken stock
1-2 Tbl. maple syrup
1/2 C toasted pecans, chopped (toast in 350 degree oven or brown in butter on stovetop)
4 Tbl butter

In a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, add olive oil and heat. Add onion and saute for five minutes. Add thyme and bay leaf, saute for another minute or so. Add wine and broth. Bring to boil and cook until reduced to 1 cup, about 35-40 minutes. Midway through, taste the reduction. If it is too tart or sour, add the maple syrup to taste. I also added a cocoa spice rub from Dean & DeLuca at this point, it had cocoa, cinnamon and nutmeg, if you want to try that. Continue cooking until reduced; remove from heat and strain through a sieve into a smaller saucepan. Place over low heat and bring to a simmer. Add butter and whisk until incorporated. Continue to simmer until thickness is to your taste. Add toasted pecans just before serving, and then pour over pasta. Be sure to have some thick crusty bread on hand to sop up the remaining sauce. You could use port for this reduction, especially if you want a sweeter sauce.

This was fantastic with the butternut squash ravioli. The fruit and acid were a perfect complement to the sweet, rich flavor of the butternut squash, without being too rich or fatty. The toasted, chopped pecans added a lovely crunchy texture to the dish. Even my ultra-picky husband loved this!