2021 Everyday Sommelier Series: Shrimp and Sundried Tomato Pasta with Pinot Grigio Sauce

Our team here at KC Wine Co. is thrilled to be creating some exciting content that we’ll be featuring this year. Our Everyday Sommelier Series will take you on a wine adventure over the next twelve months, highlighting a single wine each month that will help you explore new ways to enjoy it. We’ll share fun facts about our chosen wine of the month over on our winery & vineyard Facebook and Instagram pages, a curated recipe using the wine right here on our website, and a pairing suggestion sheet delivered right to your inbox (when you’ve signed up for KC Wine Co emails). Our hope is that you’ll learn something new and exciting each month that will inspire you to try something fresh or rediscover an old favorite. 

The recipes we’ll be sharing are designed with you in mind...with accessible ingredients you can pick up at your local grocery store and easily make in the comfort of your own kitchen...much like the home kitchen these were created in. Whether you’re a novice wine drinker who enjoys casual sipping or an aspiring expert wine enthusiast, our hope is that you’ll enjoy the opportunity to be an Everyday Sommelier. 

We selected January’s featured wine of the month because of its versatility and drinkability. It’s an ideal fit to kick off your new year if you’re looking to add in some healthier habits into your diet because it pairs well with most fish and chicken dishes as well as salads. For today’s dish, we’ve chosen a pasta dish that perfectly accompanies this light and crisp wine and the hardest part about this recipe will be trying not to drink all of the wine while you wait for your food. 

Shrimp & Sundried Tomato Pasta with a Pinot Grigio Sauce 

Serves 6-8 | Prep Time 25 Minutes | Cook Time 20 Minutes

You’ll need: 

• 1 Package Wide Egg Noodles 

• Salt-N-Pepa (Push It Real Good!)

• 3c Fresh Arugala 

• 1/2c Shaved Parmesan 

• 1/4c Olive Oil 

• 3 Shallots 

• 3 Gloves Garlic 

• 1c Sundried Tomatoes 

• 1lb Shrimp (peeled and ready to cook) 

• 1 1/2c KC Wine Co. Pinot Grigio 

I’m a highly forgetful chef (and person) so it’s helpful for me to lay everything out ahead of time to make sure I’m not missing any key ingredients while I’m cooking. In this case, you can see that I’ve already lightly prepared the items to be made (but mostly so that it would look nice for this picture). Note the glass of wine at the top of my photo and don’t forget to pour your own while you’re preparing the food. 

Pro-Tip: Playing music while in the kitchen gives your recipe an edge. 

We suggest Salt-n-Pepa for this recipe. 

The first thing that I did in today’s recipe, aside from drinking some of the wine, was to go ahead and boil the noodles while I started dicing the shallots, pearl onions, and garlic into tiny pieces. I’ve found trying to boil noodles and use a skillet for something else to be a stressful task when I’m in the kitchen so doing the noodles first makes for a significantly more enjoyable cooking experience. 

Once you’re done thinly dicing the shallots, pearl onions, and garlic (the pasta should be cooked, drained, and set aside at this point) you’ll want to heat the olive oil in a medium to large sized pot on medium heat. 

Then, add in your diced goodies along with salt and pepper (I used a couple of tablespoons of each for this recipe) and cook for about two minutes before adding in the sundried tomatoes. Cook all together for an additional two minutes and then add in the Pinot Grigio and shrimp. 

Kick the temperature up to bring your pot to a boil, stirring along the way. Then, reduce the heat to simmer and cover for seven minutes. Taking some time to enjoy your music...and your glass of wine. 

Once you’re done, stir in your cooked noodles and arugula and mix all together. Top with the shredded parmesan cheese and serve. Your drinking Pinot Grigio is best served at around 45 degrees and if you don’t have a wine fridge handy, you’ll achieve optimal drinking temperature by sticking it in your home refrigerator for a little over two hours. The wine tastes great with, and in, this dish and we can’t wait for you to try it in your own home this month.