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This red wine pasta sauce is an easy twist on a classic Italian marinara, and is made with fresh or canned tomatoes, onion, garlic, herbs and wine.
I've been making lots and lots of pasta sauce lately.
Quite honestly, we don't typically eat much pasta, but the fresh summer tomatoes are calling to me. I want to eat as many as possible, and pasta sauce seems like a perfect way to enjoy them.
This summer, I've been making this classic San Marzano marinara sauce, yellow tomato marinara, and lots of variations on these two sauces. I like adding in whatever garden veggies I have on hand.
Now, as summer is winding to a close and cooler fall weather is drawing near, I've been thinking about another pasta sauce.
This red wine pasta sauce originally appeared on Champagne Tastes back in 2016, and guys, it originally used an entire bottle of wine. And that, quite frankly, is why I hadn't made this sauce in years.
I rarely have an entire bottle of wine set aside for pasta sauce.
This revised recipe uses one cup of dry red wine, and (in my opinion) it tastes better than the original.
Plus this way you can use part of the bottle for cooking, and serve the rest of the bottle with dinner. It's a much better plan.
Looking for more tomato ideas? Try making tomato tarts, tomato corn salad, tomatoes provençal, and slow-roasted cherry tomatoes.
What Kind of Wine Should I Use?
Use whatever type of dry red wine you have on hand.
Dry reds include wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Malbec, and Zinfandel.
I don't like to cook with very expensive wine, but keep in mind that you can taste the wine in this pasta sauce. Use a wine you enjoy.
We generally buy our wine at Trader Joe's.
Can I Use White Wine Instead?
You sure can!
Your pasta sauce will be a lighter color than the sauce in the photos, and will appear more like a traditional marinara.
Make sure to stick to a dry white wine (not a sweet wine), such as a Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or Pinot Grig.
Does the Alcohol "Burn Off"?
It should to some extent, yes.
You'll be simmering the wine for about 30 minutes total, which means yes, some of the alcohol will burn off. But not all of it.
This isn't a kid-friendly sauce. If you're cooking for children or for someone who doesn't drink, stick to my classic marinara sauce.
What Kind of Tomatoes Should I Use for This Pasta Sauce?
This sauce works well with fresh or canned tomatoes.
It also works perfectly with frozen tomatoes. The tomatoes in the photos are fire-roasted tomatoes that I cooked and froze earlier this summer.
How to Make Red Wine Pasta
Start with a large, heavy, shallow pan. I used this Lodge 12" carbon steel skillet.
Add olive oil and a diced onion to the pan, and cook the onion until it begins to brown.
Add garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant.
Next, slowly pour red wine into the pan.
Simmer the wine for about five minutes.
Add the tomatoes, oregano, and chili flakes.
Bring the sauce to a hard simmer.
Continue to simmer your red wine tomato sauce until it thickens, about 20 or 25 minutes, depending on how juicy your tomatoes are.
At this point, you can add freshly cooked pasta to the sauce, toss it to coat the pasta, and then serve everything right away. If you prefer, you can store the sauce for later in the fridge or freezer.
Red Wine Pasta Sauce
Equipment
- large heavy skillet (12-inch minimum)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 garlic cloves, diced
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 2 pounds fresh tomatoes (diced) or 28oz can diced or crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Add the oil, onions and salt to a large, shallow pan. (Use a 12" pan or larger, see recipe notes.)Cook the onions over medium heat until they begin to brown (~5 min). Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute, or until the garlic is fragrant.
- Slowly pour half the wine into the pan. Let it come to a simmer, and then add the remaining wine. Continue to simmer the wine for 5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, oregano, and red pepper flakes to the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer.
- Simmer the tomatoes for 20-25 minutes, or until most of the water has evaporated and the sauce has thickened.Taste the sauce and add more chili flakes, salt, or oregano if desired. Simmer 1-2 more minutes if you added more seasoning.Serve immediately along with fresh pasta, refrigerate and use within 4-6 days, or freeze and use within a year.
Debra C.
How fun, what a great idea! Love that it’s quick and easy too – this would be perfect for Date Night!
jayne
Love the flavours you have in this pasta! Especially the red wine as it goes with pasta so well
Cindy Gordon
You had me at red wine! This looks delish and something that my husband would love! I think I'll surprise him next week!
champagne-tastes
Let me know how it goes! Enjoy!
shelley
This will be so great for Valentine's day! I <3 Trader Joes too.
Meg
Red wine in my pasta sauce?! I'm in. And then I can have a glass on the side too right? Sounds like a pretty awesome date night to me.
champagne-tastes
Totally- you can have the wine in the food AND with the food. Seems reasonable lol
Michelle
This was really good, if you want to serve to children simply simmer longer to get the alcohol to cook off, Aldo since tomatoes and red wine are highly acidic and some struggle with heartburn I add a bit if honey to temper the acid! I used the sauce for meatball subs, delicious !!!!
Alisha Trenalone
Thanks for letting us know how much you enjoyed it!
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
Robert
I made this as written. It was SUPERB. The second time, on a whim, l added the wine st the end, without cooking or reducing it. The wine was more pronounced and even gave me a little buzz, but it was OFF THE CHARTS YUMMY AND COMFORTING.
As written for family and kids….. red wine at end when it is just me lol.
Thank you for this recipe. I really mean it.
Alisha Trenalone
Fantastic, Robert! Thanks so much for letting us know, we love to hear that!
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
Sandy
Is freezing the only option or can I jar this
Alisha Trenalone
Hi Sandy! We haven't tested this recipe with canning. So far we've only stored it in the refrigerator (for less than a week) or frozen it.
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
Samantha
Can meat be added to this sauce? if so, how would you suggest adding it to the recipe?
Alisha Trenalone
Hi Samantha, I'm sure you could add meat! We haven't tested adding it yet at any certain point in the process. Let us know if you give it a try!
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
Suzanne
My husband has an amazing garden and he makes fresh marinara sauce every year and we can about 80 jars. The one non-fresh ingredient is canned paste, and I wanted to try a different recipe with red wine as an additive. My daughter came over and said the kitchen smelled great. She tried it and I did too; it's quite yummy. Tomorrow, my son and his Sicilian girlfriend will try it, and that will be the test!
The one addition I did, was to add fresh basil.
Alisha Trenalone
That garden sounds so productive! Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes