2009 Hippolyte-Reverdy SANCERRE ROSÉ and a Recipe

I drank my last bottle of this outstanding Pinot Noir rose, which I reviewed previously, and it was still remarkably fresh and flavorful.  I had to improvise a quick, light meal based on what we had in the house, and came up with the following, which not only was really good, but paired wonderfully with the Sancerre rose.



Pasta with artichoke hearts and Italian tuna belly

 1 lb. pasta (like penne or rotini)

1 can artichoke hearts in water

1 jar Italian tuna belly (ventresca*) packed in olive oil, drained

¼ cup finely chopped onion

¼ cup finely chopped celery

¼ cup finely chopped carrot

¼ cup good olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup dry white wine (maybe a splash more. . . I didn't measure)

Salt

Pepper

A bit of chopped parsley

Get a pot of salted water boiling for the pasta.

In 12” sauté pan, heat 1/8 cup olive oil and then soften onion, carrot, and celery for 5 minutes over medium low heat.

While they’re softening, drain artichoke hearts.  Cut into quarters, and squeeze out excess water with paper towels. 

When onions, carrots, and celery are softened (not browned), add artichokes.  Toss for a few minutes.  Add the white wine, and turn up the heat to get the wine boiling and reduce it a bit.  Add the lemon juice and the rest of the olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, stir around, then turn the heat off until the pasta is almost done.

Just before draining the cooked pasta, turn up the heat on the sauce and add the tuna, trying not to shred the tuna as you stir it in.  Turn off the heat as soon as the tuna is stirred in (cooking it makes it taste bitter and crappy).

Add  sauce to the drained pasta, mix, then throw the chopped parsley on top.  I think this is better without Parmesan cheese, but Liz likes Parmesan cheese on every type of pasta 

known to man.

* Ventresca is like basic tuna packed in olive oil, except it's from the best part of the tuna, and has a really refined taste.