Pasta With White Wine Sauce

Author Notes

This simple, bright—yet comforting—sauce features a couple of perks, the best being you can finish the bottle of white wine you'll use to cook as you’re enjoying your dinner. I like an easy-to-drink, dry white wine like pinot grigio, but you can also use sauvignon blanc or chardonnay for the best results here. You just don’t want to use a wine that’s too sweet and cloying. It’ll be the type of wine where, after you take the first sip, you think, Ahh, how crisp! Whichever wine you choose, the rest of the ingredients most likely already exist in your pantry or fridge. You can use this sauce for chicken, scallops, or shrimp, but we like it with just pasta since cooking pasta leaves you with one magic ingredient: that starchy pasta liquid that’s the key to many delicious sauces. Keep a measuring cup right next to the pot as you’re cooking so you don’t forget to scoop some out before draining. I for one have done it before and felt super sad for myself afterward.

You’ll also love this dish for its versatility. In my opinion, you can’t go wrong with too much garlic, but definitely adjust to your own tastes. Got a shallot to use up? Finely chop and add with the garlic. Same goes for sliced mushrooms. Any bright, fresh herb can be thrown into the mix as well, or greens like spinach or arugula. Adjust the red pepper flakes if you want a little more of a kick, and if you’re feeling particularly indulgent, feel free to stir in some heavy cream for a heartier sauce. Use whatever you need and taste as you go. —Jill Baughman

Test Kitchen Notes

This recipe is a part of Wine Week—seven days celebrating all things wine—presented in partnership by our friends at Bread & Butter Wines.

This sauce is a weeknight hit, with a perfectly balanced mix of acidity (both from the wine and fresh lemon), silky richness from both butter and olive oil, and lots of freshness from aromatic Italian parsley. A good pasta wouldn't be complete without Parmesan cheese, which is added both during the cooking process—melded in deliciously to the sauce to help create that glossy finish called for—plus more just before serving.
—Food52