Spaghetti ubriachi

Are you looking for an original dish? Perhaps one with a bold flavour and a look that will amaze? Then let’s talk about spaghetti ubriachi – here’s the recipe.

Spaghetti is a type of pasta that’s always to be found in Italian homes. We serve it with: tomatoes, clams, eggs, or with butter and sage – and why not, even just with Parmesan? So why not add some wine too? 

This dish is intriguing right from its name: ‘Ubriachi’ – but why? Because the pasta is cooked directly in red wine, absorbing its colour, aroma and flavour. The result is spaghetti with an intense red colour, but above all a bold flavour which, depending on the heat and the type of wine, can be slightly bitter or sweetish.

You should know that this recipe has its roots in the oldest and most humble peasant tradition, already known in ancient Rome. Wine was one of the very few things you’d find in every home, even the humblest.

Spaghetti ubriachi: from a peasant dish to a gourmet recipe

First of all, I want to make it clear that many people, especially tourists, are convinced that this way of preparing spaghetti is a modern invention. Undoubtedly, today’s chefs, especially those with Michelin stars, as well as many ‘gourmet’ restaurants, serve dishes that are visually striking. Among other things, they also have a hand in selecting different types of wine, sometimes sweet, sometimes full-bodied. That is precisely why I am keen to share the original recipe for ‘spaghetti ubriachi’ with you.

This dish originated in the countryside of central Italy, specifically between Tuscany and Umbria. These are Italian regions where vine cultivation and wine production are among the most abundant in the country. It was here that the culinary art of using wine to flavour meats, desserts and even pasta first emerged.

So much so that every village had its own variations. The ingredients were few and people used whatever was to hand; it was only over the centuries that a clearer recipe began to emerge, with specific quantities and types of wine that brought out the flavour of the spaghetti.

At first, it was a simple dish: few ingredients, plenty of flavour. Over time, however, spaghetti ubriachi has been reimagined by chefs and food enthusiasts, becoming a refined dish now served even in top-class restaurants.