LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2021

PLAYING FAVOURITES

Get your greens by stirring in a couple of handfuls of baby spinach or arugula leaves.

Baked Brie Pasta

Full disclosure: The concept for this recipe is a bit unusual. That said, I figured how could bring- ing together two of my favourite seasonal recipes, baked brie and creamy pasta, go wrong? The result—comforting, sweet and savoury, and deliciously decadent—is so right! 1 wheel (227 g) brie 4 slices prosciutto Salt 1 pkg (454 g) orecchiette or rotini ⁄ cup (175 mL) sweetened dried cranberries ⁄ cup (125 mL) shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped 1 tbsp (15 mL) each chopped thyme and rosemary leaves 1 Preheat oven to 350 F (177 C). Bring a pot of water to a boil. 2 Cut off top rind of brie and discard. Set remaining brie wheel in centre of a 9 x 13-inch (3 L) baking dish. Arrange pro- sciutto slices on a baking sheet. 3 Bake prosciutto until crisp, 3 to 6 minutes. Bake brie until so , 5 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, salt boiling water until it tastes like the sea. Add pasta. Cook according to package directions. 4 When pasta is al dente, scoop 1 cup (250 mL) pasta water and set aside. Drain pasta well, then turn into baking dish with so - ened brie. Sprinkle with cranber- ries, pistachios, thyme and rose- mary. Stir, breaking up brie rind and slowly stirring in reserved pasta water until creamy and evenly mixed. (So ened brie will melt in, creating a sauce for the pasta, while broken-up rind will blend in with other ingredients.) Crumble prosciutto overtop. Serve immediately.

PAIR IT WITH A BEST-SELLING WINE Zesty and versatile rosé is always a good food-friendly choice. Reach for top-notch local offerings Malivoire Ladybug Rosé VQA ( VINTAGES 559088, $16.95) and Tawse Sketches of Niagara Rosé VQA ( VINTAGES 172643, $17.95). Their dry fruitiness partners beautifully with this appetizer-inspired pasta. You could also treat your- self by opening a bottle of California’s Meiomi Pinot Noir ( VINTAGES 130138, $22.95) or Bread & Butter Pinot Noir ( LCBO 13686, $18.95). Both are plump, jammy and velvety smooth—qualities that will complement the bloomy brie while playing up the sweet cranberries in this dish.

Serves 4

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HOLIDAY 2021 FOOD & DRINK