This white wine linguine delights with rich and silky flavor despite the absence of cream and only a touch of butter in its fragrant, citrusy sauce. Elegant but exceedingly simple, it’s as suitable for a dinner party as it is any casual meal–Jenny Howard
What is LC Hump Day Pasta?
I’m glad you asked. LC Hump Day Pasta (#LCHumpDayPasta) is a little something we cooked up to help you on the night of the week that you feel least like cooking. Wednesday was traditionally Prince Spaghetti Day (for those of you old enough to remember). We’ve revamped and updated that to Hump Day and included every type of pasta there is.
Try More Pasta Recipes
Love pasta? Who doesn’t? If so, try turmeric shrimp linguine, one-pan lemon parmesan linguine, or linguine with mixed seafood. Or check out all our of pasta recipes.
White Wine Linguine
Ingredients
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 1 pound linguine (or any other long pasta)
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 clove garlic, smashed and thinly sliced
- One (26-ounce) bottle Sauvignon Blanc*
- 1 cup canned or homemade chicken broth
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano–Reggiano or other hard, sharp cheese, plus more for garnish
- 1 tablespoon (1/2 oz) butter
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and boil just until the pasta can fully bend but remains undercooked, 5 to 6 minutes.
- Before draining the pasta, ladle 1 cup (237 ml) of the pasta water into a measuring cup. Drain the pasta.
- Meanwhile, in a large, deep-sided skillet over medium-low heat, warm the olive oil until hot and shimmery. Add the garlic and cook until golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
☞ TESTER TIP: Be careful not to let the garlic brown or it’ll taste bitter.
- Remove the skillet from the heat. Slowly and carefully add the bottle of Sauvignon Blanc as it may splatter at first.
- Pour in the chicken broth. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.
- Add the drained pasta to the skillet along with 1/2 cup (118 ml) of the reserved pasta water. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Keep the mixture at a boil and use tongs to toss the pasta frequently to prevent sticking.
- Cook until the pasta is al dente, tender yet firm to the bite, and the liquid has been almost but not completely absorbed, tossing frequently, about 10 minutes.
- If needed, add a little more of the reserved pasta water to keep the sauce slightly loose. Keep a watchful eye as cooking times will differ depending on the type and brand of pasta.
- Add the cheese, a little at a time, while tossing with the tongs so the cheese melts evenly and doesn’t stick to the skillet.
- If a thinner sauce is desired, toss in a little more of the reserved pasta water. Keep in mind the sauce will thicken upon standing.
- Turn off the heat and add the butter, gently tossing to create a silky glaze. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if necessary.
- Drizzle lightly with more oil. Season with freshly ground pepper and more cheese and serve immediately.
Notes
*What can I substitute for Sauvignon Blanc in a recipe?
A grassy, green apple-flavored wine, it’s really versatile. It makes a great accompaniment to pasta which is why it works so well in this recipe. But if you’re in a hurry and want to use what you’ve got on hand, these wines will all work pretty well too. Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé have origins with the same grape so you’ll find they work well. Bordeux blanc and Sauternes will do, as well.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
I’ve not particularly enjoyed pasta cooked in red wine in the past and found this a delightful variation. The wine isn’t overpowering and, in combination with some pasta water and slow cooker chicken stock, makes a light, creamy sauce. I think I would have liked a sprinkling of fresh parsley over top of this with the Parmesan garnish.
The mixture seemed a bit too saucy to me at the time the pasta was done cooking, although the portion that wasn’t served immediately thickened more as it sat and didn’t have as much excess liquid.
I’m not sure this really requires the entire bottle of wine to go into the skillet. I might hold some back next time and add it if it seems necessary. And, yes, the wine does splatter as it goes in at first, so beware. I didn’t need to add the extra pasta water.
I used a 2018 Domaine Ferrandière Sauvignon Blanc. This was served at a meal with mushroom barley soup, baked breaded chicken thighs, and buttered green peas. I will definitely make this again.
This white wine linguine is delicious and very easy to make. All the ingredients are pantry staples in my house and you can use an inexpensive, but still tasty, wine for the pasta. Everyone enjoyed this dish and I’ll be making it again.
There was plenty of sauce for the pasta and some extra for ciabatta bread dipping. Next time I will be adding more garlic to the sauce and perhaps red pepper flakes to the finished dish. I used low-sodium canned chicken broth I added 1/2 cup pasta water and didn’t need to add the reserved water.
I love this recipe. It’s simple but elegant, light but somehow still rich in flavor, citrusy and silky even though there’s no lemon or cream and barely a touch of butter. I’ve had red wine pasta before using a similar technique and it was much more rustic and slightly out there…but this dish is just beautiful and the recipe works perfectly as written.
I can’t wait to use this for a dinner party menu, perhaps as a first course or as an accompaniment to pork or beef. Or I might just cook up a batch, toss a giant bowl of salad greens, and call it a perfect meal.
I used homemade chicken stock and a relatively inexpensive (but brand name) Sauvignon Blanc and it was perfectly sufficient, delivering loads of flavor and aroma even after the pasta was fully simmered.
I didn’t need to use more than the initial 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water except to loosen up the leftovers later.
Fresh or dried pasta?
The recipe uses dried pasta, Sue. You could make it with fresh pasta though, if that’s what you’ve got. You’ll just need to reduce the pasta cooking time.