Do you know what the problem is with being a digital nomad? You’re always missing something. Family, friends, kitchen tools, an ingredient. Last week I wanted to make my grandmother’s tea biscuits but didn’t have a rolling pin. I could have used a wine bottle, but the stubborn label refused to peel off. This is the price you pay for restless wanderlust — or for being an idiot.
The other day, before heading to the Salt Cave in Asheville and grabbing a bite at an Indian restaurant with my aunt, I made my son pasta with alla vodka sauce. Except I used the leftover white wine with the persistent label instead of vodka. Good thing I didn’t pour it down the drain.
If it hadn’t worked better than vodka, I wouldn’t be telling you about it.
Why is white wine better than vodka? Because that’s all I had. And when I don’t have something, I’ve trained myself to believe that everything happens for a reason, grateful that I at least have that. But seriously: wine makes it more refined. An anise liqueur like Arak or Ouzo works beautifully too. Just a couple of tablespoons, though.
My dad taught me many things, but the best advice he ever gave me was to be chfifa — Moroccan word for easy going — in the kitchen. Never stiff, never rigid, otherwise cooking becomes a chore, a burden, not fun. Everything can be replaced, including me. Sad but true.
As a digital nomad, this advice stuck with me more than anything. The ability to improvise is a skill that quietly turns you into a problem solver and a quick decision maker. If there were an Olympics for improvisation, I would take the gold.
I made it with heavy cream, Grass fed in a heavy glass container, to please my teenager and my husband. If it were just me, I’d have made it with cashew cream (see notes).
My teenager declared it one of the best sauces I’ve ever made.
It’s the white wine sweetheart. And the grape tomatoes.
Now go improvise with whatever you have in hand.
Notes
Can you make this sauce with regular tomatoes? Of course you can, as long as you peel them. I’m sure store-bought canned tomatoes would work too.
Plant-based cashew cream: soak 1 cup raw cashews in boiled water for 1 hour. Drain. Blend with 1 cup of fresh water until smooth and creamy.
Tomato Sauce With White Wine
Ingredients
- 2 pints grape tomatoes - halved
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves - chopped finely
- Salt
- ⅓ cup white wine or 2 tablespoons vodka or Ouzo
- 1 cup heavy cream or vegan cream
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Heat a large high-rimmed skillet. Add the tomatoes and let them char slightly, for about 1-2 minutes before adding the olive oil. Lower the heat to medium and add the olive oil. Give it a quick stir and add the garlic. Season with salt, add the wine and stir. Lower the heat to simmer and cook until the tomatoes are soft, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the heavy cream and cook for 5 more minutes.
- Remove from the heat, season with black pepper and garnish generously with parsley. Serve immediately over your favorite pasta or store in the fridge for up to 2 days.
