Pasta Dishes + Italian Wine Pairings

“Food is so heavily connected to memory.” - Alex Guarnaschelli

One of the things I have missed the most while being in quarantine is traveling. I’m so grateful that over the past year and a half my husband and I were able to visit two countries - Rome, Italy and Paris, France (with a quick detour to Champagne, France).

The place that really made me feel nostalgic most recently is Italy. Going to Rome was life changing, and their pasta was just simply out of this world. We were so fortunate to be able to have a private cooking lesson at Rimessa. Recently, I’ve been longing for a bowl of pasta. I rarely eat pasta, but the past couple of weeks it was a staple on the menu in our household.

Today, I’m sharing three unique pasta dishes, and pairing each entree with wine we brought back from Rome. Be sure to check out my post from last year, breaking down each bottle of wine we had shipped back home during our trip.

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Cacio e Pepe

This super delicious dish is comprised of four simple ingredients:

• Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese

• Pepper

• Butter

• Salt

I’d honestly have to say that this is one of my favorite pasta dishes. It is so simple, and the cheese is creamy, but the pepper packs a spicy punch. This pasta dish was one of my favorites to learn to make in Italy. Also, this entree had my favorite wine pairing: Schioppettino.

Cacio e Pepe

Bressan Schioppettino

This wine is bold, dry, soft, and has medium tannins. It is a wonderful wine, and when paired with the cacio e pepe dish, it’s even more delightful. The notes of this wine are out of this world, so complex, but yet undoubtedly wonderful:

• Spices: pepper, white pepper, and a hint of cinnamon

• Oak: tobacco and clove

• Red fruit: cherry, strawberry, and raspberry

• Earth: smoke, and leather

• Black fruit: blackberry, blueberry, and plum

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Pasta Carbonara

Carbonara is a classic meal from Rome. This dish is comprised of the following items:

• Egg

• Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese

• Cured pork

• Black pepper

In this dish we utilized our homemade smoked bacon, and it was just lovely. This entree would be the perfect compliment to a classic Italian wine: Chianti.

Carbonara

Castello Dei Rampolla Chianti

This wine is a blend, 90% Sangiovese, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot. The Chianti is fruit forward, dry, medium to high acid, medium body, and medium to high tannins. This wine has the following notes:

• Red fruit: cherry

• Black fruit: plum, blackberry, and blackcurrant

• Spices: licorice, pepper, anise

• Earth: leather and smoke

• Oak: tobacco and vanilla

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Pesto Pasta with Scallops & Smoked Bacon

I am a firm believer that pesto makes everything a little bit better, and this dish is no exception. Pesto pasta topped with pan seared scallops and smoked bacon is a winner in my book. This dish is bursting with so much flavor:

• Salt

• Pepper

• Smoke

• Herb

The elements and notes really make this meal so delicious. For this entree a something, light, and refreshing would be an ideal compliment: Brut Sparkling Wine.

Pasta with Pesto & Scallops with Smoked Bacon and parsley garnish

SoloUva Franciacorta Brut

This sparkling wine is 100% Chardonnay and is vegan! SoloUva is crisp and refreshing. You’ll taste the following notes on this wine:

• Tree fruit: pear, peach, and apple

• Citrus: lemon and lime

• Earth: mineral, chalk, and stone

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XO, Analise

Uncorked: Reds & Bubbles

“Wine is bottled poetry.” - Robert Louis Stevenson

Red wine and champagne are my two favorite types of wines, and both really hold a special place in my heart, as well as our wine cabinet. I make it a mission at least once a month to pick up new bottles at a local wine shop. One of my favorite activities is tasting and trying out new wines - it’s so nice to stumble upon selections that staff members hand pick for you.

As the weather begins to get a little bit cooler, I’m stocking up on a few of my favorite varietals for the season ahead. Today, I am sharing four wines that I’ve been really enjoying lately - two reds, and two champagnes.

2017 Sidekick Cabernet Sauvignon

2017 Sidekick Cabernet Sauvignon

The inner comic book nerd in me totally gravitated towards this bottle. How cool is the graphic novel inspired artwork on this?! I absolutely thought the idea was brilliant, and could not wait to taste this lovely Cabernet Sauvignon. For less than $20 a bottle, it is pretty enjoyable, and had notes of cedar, mocha, plum, tobacco, and licorice.

The wine is most certainly bold and tastes of dark berries. This Cab is high in tannin, well bodied, balanced fruit, and the acid is a little lower than most Cabernets - which I really loved. You can enjoy this wine by itself, with a burger or any chicken dish.

Hello World Petit Verdot

Hello World Petit Verdot

It is so rare to find a delicious 100% Petit Verdot, but this bottle totally lived up to my expectations. Also, this wine is super reasonably priced at $20. What is absolutely so neat about this wine is that it’s aged in both stainless steel and oak barrels.

The Petit Verdot has aromas of bananas, cherry, and leather. This wine has spicy notes, strong tannins and the finish lingers on in such a great way. The perfect pairing for this would be cheese, or some type of rich meat dish like grilled steak or lamb.

SoloUva Franciacorta Brut

SoloUva

Remember that time I went to Italy, and picked up this lovely bottle of champs? Well, this is still a favorite of mine. I’m so happy that G and I picked up several bottles of this bubbly during our vacation in Rome to bring back home.

This champagne is a Chardonnay grape and is aged in stainless steel for approximately 36 months. Also, this wine is vegan, which is so unique for a bubbly. I love absolutely pairing this with oysters, or any seafood related dish.

Alain Vincey Champagne Brut Rosé

Alain Vincey Champagne Brut Rosé

This french champagne is so delicious, it is a blend of 40% Pinot Noir, and 40% Chardonnay with 20% Pinot Meunie, and truly does not disappoint. The bottle of bubbly is refined, and has aromas of berries - strawberry, cranberry, and raspberry to be exact. It has notes of orange, pistachio, and has a light toast as well.

One of my favorite things about this champagne is that it is crisp, gentle on the palate, bone-dry, light, and has a slight mineral note to it as well. I was actually super impressed that this bottle averaged around $50, when other high end champagnes typically hover closer to the $100+ threshold mark. This bottle is the perfect pairing to pork, salmon, and mild or soft cheese.

XO, Analise