Zinfandel Spaghetti with Spicy Rapini

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds rapini, thick stems removed
• 1 pound spaghetti
• One 750-ml bottle Zinfandel
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup grated Pecorino-Romano

Directions

1. Set a large pot of well-salted water over high heat and let it come to a boil. Drop in the rapini; after about 3 minutes, it should be tender and vividly green. Lift it out with a wire skimmer, then lay it across a large baking sheet.
2. Let the same water return to boiling, then put in the spaghetti. Boil it for 5 to 6 minutes, stopping when it has softened but is still a few minutes shy of al dente, since you will finish it in the wine. Scoop out 1 cup of the cooking water for later, then pour the pasta into a colander. Put the empty pot back on the stovetop.
3. Pour the wine into that pot, stir in the sugar, and boil over high heat until the mixture is down by half, about 8 minutes. Tip in the drained spaghetti and mix thoroughly. Keep it moving as it cooks, so it does not glue itself to the pot, until nearly all the liquid is gone, 4 to 5 minutes.
4. While the pasta is doing its thing, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the garlic, then turn the heat right down to medium-low. Cook for about 3 minutes, just until the garlic is a light golden brown. Add the red pepper flakes first, then fold in the rapini with the salt and pepper, and cook until the rapini is heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Scrape the rapini from the skillet into the spaghetti, then pour in 1/2 cup of that saved pasta water. Toss everything gently. If the noodles seem dry, loosen them with additional pasta water. When the pasta is ready, portion it onto 4 plates and finish with the grated pecorino.