Check out our helpful guide for pairing wine with Italian pasta dishes.
Italian food is often served with a glass of wine, as it is one of the most popular food and drink combinations in the world! However, certain pasta dishes pair better with reds or whites, depending on the sauce. Continue reading for a helpful guide on pairing wine with five popular pasta dishes!
Tomato-Based Pasta
Tomato-based sauces are often powerful, highly acidic, and blended with rich meats. Since tomatoes are quite acidic, they pair best with a relatively tart medium-bodied red wine. This may sound limiting at first glance, but there are many great varieties to choose from, such as Primitivo (Zinfandel,) Sangiovese, and Cannonau.
Cheese Pasta
A cheesy pasta will pair well with almost any wine, but the next time you order cheese pasta, use the opportunity to try a more texture-based wine pairing. Both full-bodied white wines and light-bodied red wines are excellent choices, so you may pick a white wine with some creaminess, such as an oak-aged Italian Trebbiano. Or, you may want a lighter red wine with an intense hard-cheese pasta, such as a Pinot Noir or Langhe Nebbiolo.
Seafood Pasta
It’s common to drink white wine with fish, and a light-bodied acidity-driven white wine makes the perfect pair to a seafood pasta dish. However, if your seafood dish has tomato as well, you may want a Rosato (Italian rose) instead. A few excellent white wine choices include Pinot Grigio, Verdicchio, and Muscadet.
Pesto Pasta
While most Americans are familiar with pine nut and basil pesto, there are actually various types of pestos made from greens and nut pairings, such as peanut-cilantro, hazelnut-mint, parsley-pistachio, and more! To pair your pesto dish with wine, consider the herb as the centerpiece of the meal. Try a herb-driven wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc, Vermentino, or Catarratto to pair with your pesto pasta.
Vegetable Pasta
No matter which vegetables are found in your primavera pasta, the goal is to highly the freshness of the veggies. A light-bodied white wine with lemony and floral notes is always a great choice, as will pair beautifully with any seasonal pasta. A few examples include Soave, Greco di Tufo, and Gros Manseng.
Authentic Italian Cuisine From Giolitti Deli
Giolitti Deli is a full-service Delicatessen in Annapolis, MD, specializing in authentic Italian cuisine. Founded in 1992, we use the freshest ingredients to make time-honed recipes from scratch, with no MSG or preservatives. We believe in real food and offer many healthy options, including vegetarian and vegan menu items. At Giolitti Deli, we make our own sauces, mozzarella, grilled and roasted vegetables, bread, pizza dough, and desserts, and our sandwiches, salads, pasta, pizza, and entrees are made to order. Owner Mary Giolitti has combined her passion for great food and fine wine to offer Annapolis a true taste of Italy!
Team members who also make the business possible include Manager Kathy Hunter, Manager and Catering Director Cheryl Molesky, Head Baker Porfirio Diaz, Chef Alfredo Escobar, and Deli Manager Noe Merino. To contact us, please visit our contact page or give us a call at 410.266.8600. Also, be sure to keep up with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and our blog!
Tags: Giolitti Deli, italian food, pasta, wine