After Greece’s liberation from the Ottoman Empire, the countries that protected the newly born State i.e. England, Germany, Russia and France agreed in placing a king of mutual acceptance as the head of the country. That King was Otto Friedrich Ludwig von Wittelsbach from Salzburg. Because of his descent, as a ruler, he favored German businesses and generally the environment was open enough for people from Germany who wanted to come and work or do business here.
One of them was Gustav Clauss. Clauss came to Greece in 1854 to work as a high level employee in a German company that was exporting raisins from Greece to Europe. During his stay he visited Peloponnese and more particularly the area of Achaia on the northwestern part of the peninsula and he immediately fell in love with the scenery and its natural beauty. He bought a small vineyard and started producing wine, for self-purposes at first, but after a while started mass production.
He went ahead and built a homestead settlement, with cathedral towers in the form of belfries and enabled an entire village to live and work from the wine production. Over the years, Gustav’s passion and wisdom would transform a small winery into an estate which would become the cradle of legendary wines.
1873 was the year of the birth of the full-bodied, sweet desert wine Mavrodafni with its distinctive ruby red color. According to tradition Clauss gave this wine the name “Mavrodafni” which in Greek means “Black Daphne”. He gave the wine this name to remind him of his fiancé Daphne a beautiful, young, brunette who died at a very young age.
The company thrived for many more years and after World War 2 it was given to Greek owners as war compensation. Mavrodafni is still produced today and has a very rich, fruity and distinct taste. In Greek Orthodox church they use it as part of the Holy Communion Sacrament to symbolize the wine Jesus offered to his students at the Last Supper.
I love its taste and aftertaste and I use it very often in my cooking. It makes perfect sauces especially with pasta or meat. I was somewhat fed up with all the meat I consumed during Easter holidays and I wanted something filling yet a bit to the light side. So, I decided to make pasta with roasted vegetables and make a light wine sauce to go with.
I love roasting vegetables as they release their aromas and tastes and paired with the wine sauce and pasta made a delicious combination. I highly recommend you this dish and if you don’t have Mavrodafni you can use any sweet wine you like. I would probably go with a Marsala or Madeira; both of them are excellent choices.
- 1 green pepper, cut in strips
- 1 red pepper, cut in strips
- 1 orange pepper, cut in strips
- 20 cherry tomatoes
- 2 tbsp of olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 sun dried tomatoes, finely chopped
- ½ cup pasta water
- ½ cup Mavrodafni or any other sweet red wine
- 2 tsp double condensed tomato paste
- 2 tbsp roasted pine nuts
- Fresh basil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tsp sugar
- Cornstarch dissolved in water for thickening the sauce (optional)
- 300 gr. tagliatelle
- Grated feta cheese for garnishing (optional)
- Preheat oven to 175°C / 300° F.
- Take a baking sheet and cover with parchment paper.
- Spread all the vegetables on it and place it in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the peppers are soft and somewhat charcoaled and the tomatoes are done.
- Turn off the oven and keep them warm.
- Prepare pasta according to your liking, keeping ½ cup of its water for the sauce.
- You can make them at the same time.
- In a skillet pour the olive oil in medium/low heat.
- Add the garlic and let it sauté until it releases its fragrances about a minute or two.
- Add the pine nuts, the pasta water, the Mavrodafni wine, the tomato paste, sun dried tomatoes, salt, pepper and the sugar.
- Bring to boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Five minutes before the end add the basil.
- If you want your sauce to be thick, just add couple of tsp of cornstarch dissolved in couple of tsp of water.
- Throw the tagliatelle in the sauce and mix so as for the sauce to cover all pasta.
- In a plate place the pasta and on top garnish with the roasted vegetables.
- You can garnish with grated feta cheese but this is completely optional.
- You can put any cheese you like.
- 1 πράσινη πιπεριά κομμένη σε λωρίδες
- 1 πιπεριά κόκκινη κομμένη σε λωρίδες
- 1 πιπεριά πορτοκαλί κομμένη σε λωρίδες
- 20 ντοματίνια
- 2 κ.σ. ελαιόλαδο
- 3 σκελίδες σκόρδο, λιωμένο
- 4 λιαστές ντομάτες, ψιλοκομμένες
- ½ φλ. νερό ζυμαρικών
- ½ φλ. Μαυροδάφνη ή οποιοδήποτε άλλο γλυκό κόκκινο κρασί
- 2 κ.γ. πελτέ ντομάτας
- 2 κ.σ. ψημένα κουκουνάρια
- Φρέσκο βασιλικό
- Αλάτι και πιπέρι
- 1 κ.γ. ζάχαρη
- Κορν φλάουρ διαλυμένο σε νερό για να δέσει η σάλτσα (προαιρετικά)
- 300 γρ. ταλιατέλες
- Τυρί φέτα τριμμένη για το γαρνίρισμα (προαιρετικά)
- Προθερμαίνετε το φούρνο στους 175° C.
- Πάρτε ένα ταψί και σκεπάστε το με αντικολλητικό χαρτί ψησίματος.
- Απλώστε όλα τα λαχανικά σε αυτό και τοποθετήστε το στο φούρνο για περίπου 15 με 20 λεπτά ή μέχρι οι πιπεριές να μαλακώσουν και να πάρουν χρώμα και οι ντομάτες να μαλακώσουν και αυτές.
- Σβήστε το φούρνο και κρατήστε τα ζεστά.
- Ετοιμάστε τα ζυμαρικά σύμφωνα με τις προτιμήσεις σας κρατώντας ½ φλιτζάνι νερό για τη σάλτσα.
- Μπορείτε να κάνετε και τα δύο ταυτόχρονα.
- Σε μια κατσαρόλα ρίχνουμε το ελαιόλαδο σε μέτρια/χαμηλή θερμοκρασία.
- Προσθέστε το σκόρδο και αφήστε να σοταριστεί μέχρι να απελευθερώσει τα αρώματα του για ένα λεπτό ή δύο.
- Προσθέστε τα κουκουνάρια, το νερό, το κρασί Μαυροδάφνης, την πάστα ντομάτας, τις λιαστές ντομάτες, αλάτι, πιπέρι και τη ζάχαρη.
- Βράστε και στη συνέχεια μειώστε τη θερμοκρασία στο χαμηλό και σιγοβράστε για περίπου 10 έως 15 λεπτά.
- Πέντε λεπτά πριν το τέλος προσθέστε το βασιλικό.
- Εάν θέλετε η σάλτσα σας να είναι πηχτή προσθέστε 2 κ.γ. κορν φλάουρ διαλυμένο σε 2 κ.γ. νερό.
- Ρίξτε τις ταλιατέλες στη σάλτσα και ανακατέψτε τόσο, όσο η σάλτσα να καλύψει όλα τα ζυμαρικά.
- Σε ένα πιάτο βάλτε τις ταλιατέλες και από πάνω γαρνίρετε με τα ψητά λαχανικά.
- Μπορείτε να γαρνίρετε με τριμμένη φέτα, αλλά αυτό είναι εντελώς προαιρετικό.
