Puttanesca for lovers: Dial up the romance with spaghetti and Syrah this date night

Romantic food comes in many shapes and sizes. For some, chocolate-dipped strawberries are the recipe to wooing a loved one. For others, oysters serve their purpose as a classic aphrodisiac. In Heartburn, Nora Ephron makes postcoital carbonara seem the ultimate sexy meal. Here at Vogue Scandinavia, we take a leaf out of the Lady and the Tramp’s book, whipping up a simple, straightforward but entirely delicious red sauce spaghetti to reel in any potential suitors.

There are, of course, many pastas suitable for date night, but puttanesca is luxurious in its simplicity. It is a testament to good ingredients and, crucially, it’s a boon to put together – leaving more time for romance and flirting. The trick here is to treat yourself to the best of the best – plump, salty Ortiz anchovies for an umami depth; jewel-shaped, saline capers; ripe, aubergine-hued olives; and ruby red, concentrated tomatoes, all come together to create a deceptively gluttonous feast.

The best part of any date night, though? The wine, of course. And while there are many great partners to a puttanesca, our favourite is a peppery syrah. The Basalte du Corona Syrah from the southern Rhone Valley is bright with refreshing acidity, robust structure and a balanced finish. Dark berry notes of plum and blackberry are tempered by black pepper and a mineral finish – all of it balancing perfectly with the savoury, salty and lightly spicy puttanesca.

Ingredients
1 x pack spaghetti
2 x tins tomatoes
1 x jar capers
5 x anchovies and some oil from the jar
1 x jar pitted kalamata olives
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 x red onion
Olive oil

Method

1. Cook the spaghetti as per packet instructions.
2. Add the olive oil and a dash of oil from the anchovy jar to a pan on a medium heat. Add the red onion and fry until soft.
3. Add the anchovies and cook until they melt into the oil.
4. Add the tinned tomatoes, the chilli flakes, the olive and the capers and season with salt and pepper. Cook on a low-medium heat until the tomatoes have reduced and thickened – about 20 or 30 minutes. The longer you cook the sauce, the more pronounced the flavour will be.
5. Drain the pasta once it has cooked, reserving half a cup of the water.
6. Once the sauce is finished, add the pasta and a dash or two pasta water, stirring over a low heat til combined and the pasta is suitably saucy. Add a little more pasta water if you want to loosen the sauce.
7. Serve with cracked pepper, grated parmesan, and a glass of peppery syrah.

Basalte du Coiron Syrah (20078), 99kr.