Brandy. Is there anything it can’t do?

It’s no secret that brandy is an essential ingredient in delicious cocktails such as Sidecars, Metropolitans, and, of course, Old Fashioneds. But did you know this miracle product can also be used to make meals?

You may be aware that it’s key to desserts like Tiramisu, Cherries Jubilee, and Bananas Foster. However, brandy can be used to create delectable savory entrées, too.

And, in a completely objective and unbiased taste test conducted at Drink Wisconsinbly World Headquarters, we’ve discovered that recipes made with Drink Wisconsinbly Brandy have a superior flavor profile to those made with other brands.

We were surprised by these findings, too, but the numbers don’t lie.

While a quick Internet search will provide hundreds of creative ways to cook using brandy, we had the chefs in the Drink Wisconsinbly Test Kitchen create a special search engine-free recipe for our readers to enjoy.

Rigatoni with Drink Wisconsinbly Brandy Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 shallots, minced
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• kosher salt
• ½ cup tomato paste
• ¼ cup Drink Wisconsinbly Brandy
• 1 lb rigatoni
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 large sprigs fresh oregano
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping

Directions

Bring heavily salted water to a boil in a pot. Add rigatoni to boiling water, and stir. Cook until al dente. Set aside ½ cup of pasta water before draining pasta.

Meanwhile, heat a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add olive oil. Once hot, add the shallots and garlic. Cook for about 4-5 minutes, stirring often. Season with salt.

Next, mix in tomato paste and cook for one minute. Pour in the Drink Wisconsinbly Brandy, and simmer for 1-2 minutes.

Stir cream into the sauce. Add oregano and black pepper. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened.

Add the reserved pasta water and pasta to the sauce. Stir well to combine.

Gradually add parmesan, stirring until melted, and the sauce clings to the pasta.

Remove oregano sprigs. Serve pasta with more parmesan cheese (there is never too much cheese) and black pepper.

This is where a more sophisticated publication would offer a wine pairing for your meal. Alas, we’re just a humble weekly newsletter. So you may as well just whip up a DW Brandy Old Fashioned to enjoy with dinner. After all, the bottle is already open. If you’re looking to find where to buy Drink Wisconsinbly Brandy, check out our nifty map locator tool here.

Bon Appétit and/or cheers!