Tomato and Red Wine Reduction

Wines and other spirits are fun to cook with, they have a lot of flavor, add moisture, and are easy to work with. Also it is easy to analyze and approach the flavors in them, just pour yourself a glass! Who says working in the kitchen has to be work?

So the other day I was looking through the fridge and I noticed that I had an opened bottle of Chianti sitting there. Wines do not like to sit exposed to air for long periods; they begin to oxidize and lose complexity, body, and develop off tastes. Now young wines, especially young heavy duty reds with lots of tannins can benefit greatly from a little air, and I recommend decanting before serving. Any way, my Chianti was not getting any younger, and it would have been a shame to waste a decent Italian wine so I started brainstorming on how to put it to good use. The results was an experiment that showed good potential. Any suggestions will be well taken.

Tomato and Red Wine Reduction with Cheese Tortellini
This recipe was a breeze and you should be able to prepare this dish in under 30 min.
In a large pan heat a tablespoon of olive and add the following:
1/2 clove of garlic crushed
1 slice of sweet onion minced
several spriggs of cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon oregano
several dashes black pepper
dash of salt

Cook the garlic and onion until soft and they begin to caramelize
Add the following to the pan and stir:
1 can diced tomatoes, or if you are old school, about 6 Roma tomatoes that have been skinned and de-seeded
3/4 cup red wine
2 table spoons butter (the dairy makes the sauce creamier and helps balance the tannins of the red wine)
1 teaspoon corn starch (dissolve corn starch in warm hot water, about 1/4 to 1/2 cup, the best method is to put in a jar and shake vigorously)
1 to 2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice (The acid is needed to balance the butter and sweetness of the wine. The exact amount needed will vary on how sweet/acidic the tomatoes are and how sweet or dry the wine is.)
On medium heat and stirring occasionally cook sauce until it reaches the desired thickness.

Serve sauce with pasta. I choose cheese tortellini with grated Parmesan topping because the earthy cheeses helped balance the sweetness of the sauce. I paired the pasta and sauce with steamed asparagus and grilled pork ribs that had been marinated in the same red wine and had a simple black pepper and rosemary rub applied. Beef or lamb would also be a solid paring.