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DRUNKEN SPAGHETTI

Ingredients
• 2 (750-ml) bottles red wine or 1 large (1.5-liter) bottle—don't spend a fortune, $10 to $15 a bottle, tops
• Salt
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 1 large red beet
• 3 tablespoons EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil), 3 times around the pan
• 4 garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped
• 1 large shallot, chopped or thinly sliced
• Black pepper
• 1 bunch of red Swiss chard, stemmed and coarsely chopped
• A little freshly grated nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon or to taste
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 pound ricotta salata cheese, crumbled or grated


Directions
Pour the wine into a pasta pot and add enough water to reach the level you would otherwise fill the pot to for pasta. Bring to a boil over high heat, salt the water generously, and drop in the pasta. Cook al dente. Heads up: you will need to set aside about 1 cup of the starchy cooking liquid before draining.

While the liquids come to a boil, peel the beet. Place a box grater in a shallow bowl and grate the beet into the bowl. Heat the EVOO in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallots to the pan, cook for a minute, then add the grated beets and season with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to medium-high. Cook the beets for 7 to 8 minutes, then add the greens to the pan, turning them to wilt evenly. Season them with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

Stir the chicken stock into the skillet and simmer for 5 minutes, then add the reserved cup of pasta-cooking liquid. Stir to combine and add the butter, swirling and stirring to melt it. Turn off the heat, add the drained spaghetti, and toss for 1 minute. Adjust the salt and pepper. Serve in shallow bowls with lots of crumbled ricotta salata on top.