Try a delicious wine and pasta pairing at Basta Pasta!
There are a few things that Italian cuisine is known for above all else: fresh Mediterranean flavors, pasta with delicious sauces, and great Italian wines. Whether you’re preparing an intimate meal of pasta at home or heading out to your favorite restaurant, you may be looking for just the right wine pairing for your Italian dish. After all, wine is a great complement to pasta. Since wine is relatively light compared to beer and not as strong as some popular cocktails, it makes a great pairing for nutritious, filling pasta with sauce. Here are a few tips for pairing wine with pasta sauces for your next meal.
Red Sauce
When you mention pasta, the first thing to come to mind for many of us is a hearty meal featuring plenty of pasta and delicious red sauce. Tomato and basil make for a fresh pasta dish that isn’t too heavy. A great wine pairing would be a crisp, dry white, such as Pinot Grigio, to complement the lighter, fresher flavor. For bolognese or other meat-based red sauces, try a red wine–Barberas make a great pairing for spaghetti bolognese or meatballs.
Pesto
Since a good pesto is built on a foundation of fresh herbs and delicious cheese, a medium-bodied wine makes a great pairing. A dry Verdicchio or light Chardonnay are great compliments to an herbaceous pesto. For even cheesier sauces, try a light red such as Merlot to match the meal.
Creamy Sauces
Creamy pasta sauces tend to be a bit heavier, so it’s important to pick a wine that will offset the heaviness without getting overpowered. Fettucine alfredo or spaghetti carbonara go very well with Sicilian white wines or Pinot Bianco, which can offset the sauce while complimenting the flavors in the dish. Creamy mushroom sauces tend to be earthier than cheese or egg-based cream sauces, so Pinot Noir is a great choice to compliment these earthy flavors.
Seafood
Seafood is key in Mediterranean cuisine. Whether you’re eating mussels, crab, or shrimp with your pasta, there are plenty of wines that will perfectly compliment seafood in your Italian dishes. A full-bodied white wine, such as Soave or Chardonnay, is a great pairing for crab or lobster sauces. If you’re enjoying spaghetti with mussels, try a dry rose for a crisp wine that will work well with the lighter seafood flavors and fresh herbs. Lighter seafood sauces are great pairings for many crisp wines, including Verdicchio or Frascati.
Visit Basta Pasta This Weekend
For more than 12 years, Basta Pasta has given Maryland diners delicious Italian food from local and fresh ingredients. Enjoy delicious pasta dishes, unlimited salad and breadsticks, and fine wine at one of our locations in Timonium, Fallston, or Eldersburg. Contact us online or give us a call at the location-specific phone number listed here. Read our menu and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter! If you don’t feel like going out, order our signature crab cakes online and enjoy delicious Basta Pasta from home!