Wine & Chestnuts
We all know the date November 11th as Remembrance Day, but this date is also significant on a winemaker’s calendar as San Martino, the day, it is said, when all must becomes wine. On San Martino, it is tradition to get a taste of new wine (vino novello) and pair it with roasted chestnuts.
While there’s nothing wrong with cracking the shells on roasted chestnuts and enjoying their nutty sweet flesh as an after-dinner snack with a glass of wine, why not try them as your main course and enjoy a luscious plate of pasta tossed in a chestnut cream sauce. The addition of some salty pancetta works incredibly well with the slight sweetness and woodiness of the chestnut to create a delectable sauce. Pick up some fresh tagliatelle from our store to toss with that sauce and you’ve got the perfect celebratory dish for San Martino.
Tagliatelle with Chestnut Cream Sauce
Ingredients (serves 4)
4 nests of tagliatelle pasta (or more depending on the size of your portions)
½ cup cubed pancetta
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage, plus additional leaves for garnish
½ cup chopped roasted chestnuts (freshly roasted or store bought)
1 cup white wine
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmigiano shavings
Preparation
In a large sauté pan, cook the cubed pancetta over medium heat until crispy, remove using a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate lined with paper towel. In the fat released from the pancetta crisp up fresh sage leaves that will be used as garnish (this will only take about a minute). Remove the crispy sage and set aside.
Add the chestnuts to the pan and sauté for approximately 5 minutes until they have started to crisp up and change color. Remove the chestnuts then raise the heat to high and deglaze the pan with the white wine. Continue to cook until the wine has reduced by half then add in the chopped sage and cream lowering the heat back down to medium allowing the sauce to thicken. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Cook and drain the pasta then toss into the cream sauce to coat. Stir in the pancetta and chestnuts then serve topped with the crispy sage leaves and some Parmigiano shavings.
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