Spaghetti with White Wine Pasta Sauce

This Spaghetti and White Wine Pasta Sauce is delicious! The sauce is a combination of olive oil, butter, Parmesan cheese and wine…and it’s surprisingly easy to make!

Did you know that New York is the #2 state for wine production in the US? Granted, the #1 state (California…duh) produces 575 million gallons compared to New York which produces just 31 million gallons…but those 31 million gallons are enough to earn the #2 spot. The Finger Lakes region of western New York is well known for its wineries, and a wine-tasting trip through the Finger Lakes is definitely worth putting on your vacation plans. (Schedule that trip in late September or early October to take advantage of the fall foliage, too!)

One of the more popular types of wine in New York state is ice wine. Have you ever heard of ice wine? The grapes for this sweet dessert wine are harvested while frozen. Yup, the grapes are picked frozen. The sugars in the grapes don’t freeze, but the water does, and this in turn yields a more concentrated (thus very sweet) grape juice.

Harvesting grapes for ice wine is a bit tricky as there is a short window for harvest and production. Farmers want to leave their grapes on the vine until the first morning with freezing temperatures. Then they need a lot of help fast to pick all of those frozen grapes. If the freezing temperatures are delayed for whatever reason, then the grapes might rot on the vine. And rotten grapes aren’t good for wine. In fact, rotten grapes aren’t really good for anything! The production difficulties (combined with the fact that you get less juice from frozen grapes) explains why ice wine can be quite expensive. But then again, this wine is very sweet, so you only serve very small glasses.

Spaghetti with White Wine Pasta Sauce

Circling back to today’s recipe, this Spaghetti with White Wine Pasta Sauce is an easy and delicious dinner. In fact, the sauce is made while the pasta cooks, so you can have dinner on the table in 10 minutes (plus the time it takes to actually boil the water). And for this White Wine Pasta Sauce, don’t use ice wine.

What kind of white wine is good for pasta sauce?

Despite the introduction to ice wine at the top of this post, ice wine is not a good choice for pasta sauce. It’s way too sweet, and that would yield a rather strange tasting pasta. Plus, ice wine is expensive. Save it for an after dinner drink! Instead, a tasty White Wine Pasta Sauce uses a dry white wine like Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. A good oak-y chardonnay is one of our favorite white wines, so I used that in this sauce. Delicious! And easy!

Unlike an alfredo sauce which often includes cream (at least in the Americanized version), this White Wine Pasta Sauce doesn’t use cream. Instead, a combination of extra-virgin olive oil, butter, Parmesan cheese and garlic come together to produce a delicious pasta sauce. A handful of chopped parsley is often tossed in with the spaghetti, too. And if you’re feeling a little spicy, add in a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. That’s all there is to this White Wine Pasta Sauce. And it makes for one heck of a weeknight meal! And, of course, I highly recommend enjoying this dish with a glass or two of wine. Cheers!

Did you make this Spaghetti with White Wine Pasta Sauce at home? Leave a comment with your thoughts! Or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog).

Looking for more tasty pasta recipes? Check out these other favorites:

Creamy Pasta Alfredo with Asparagus and Crispy Prosciutto
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
Quick Caprese Pasta
Smoked Mozzarella Pasta Salad
Spicy Chipotle Chicken Pasta Bake

Spaghetti with White Wine Pasta Sauce

This Spaghetti and White Wine Pasta Sauce is delicious! The sauce is a combination of olive oil, butter, Parmesan cheese and wine…and it’s surprisingly easy to make!

• 16 oz. spaghetti pasta
• 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• {optional} ¼ tsp crushed red pepper
• ¾ cup dry white wine (i.e. Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc)
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ cup chopped Italian parsley
• ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Using a large stockpot, add salted water and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions. Drain and set aside, reserving ½ cup of pasta water.
2. Meanwhile, add olive oil to a large skillet and place over medium heat. Once hot, add garlic and {optional} crushed red pepper. Sauté for 1-2 minutes, stirring often.
3. Add wine, butter, salt and pepper; continue cooking for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Remove from heat and add cooked pasta, parsley and Parmesan cheese; toss until well combined.
5. If needed, stir in up to ½ cup reserved pasta water to loosen pasta.

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