10 Pasta and Wine Pairings to Try

Food and wine. Art and science. The multi-sensory magic of the perfect pairing.

I caught up with Mimmo Mancini, seasoned sommelier and wine bar owner at his latest space, Beverino Vineria.

Science lies at the heart of wine and food pairing, but there are no strict right answers. Experimentation is part of the fun, and learning has never been more delicious.

As a reminder, 21 Days to Wine is always free to watch on YouTube, and subscribers to Tastefully have access to detailed notes for every episode. Day 21 is all about wine and food.

Approachable and authentic, Mimmo’s selection includes Italian and International wines. Let me know in the comments if you try any of them, and please share your own pairings!

La Carbonara

The Recipe: A quintessential Roman dish made with egg yolk whisked with pecorino cheese and black pepper, and laced with smoky, crispy guanciale (cured pork jowl).

The Wine: A bright Chardonnay with a little oak aging, just enough to add some gloss. The freshness (acidity) of Chardonnay cleanses the fatty elements from the palate. This allows the flavors of the pork and pepper to come through strong, while the silkiness of the wine tempers any access peppery prick.

Cacio e Pepe

The Recipe: Another star of the Roman culinary canon, ‘Cacio e Pepe’ means pepper and cheese. The deceptively simple recipe that involves whipping pecorino cheese and black pepper with starchy pasta water to create a luscious cream sauce. Timing and temperature are everything, but when the elements are in balance, every bite is a harmonious explosion of layered, rustic flavors.

The Wine: A regional pairing with Malvasia del Lazio. This dry white wine is known for its sumptuous texture and aromatics that span fresh and dried apricot and rose. Drink a young one and vibrant acidity will clear any excess fattiness from your palate, exalting the deep earthy flavors of ground pepper and savory sheep’s-milk cheese.

Lasagna Classica (Al ragù Bolognese)

The Recipe: Original lasagna is a comfort food classic. Chewy pasta sheets layered with rich meaty Bolognese sauce, infused with Mediterranean herbs and béchamel. Succulent and bursting with a symphony of flavors, traditional ragù cooks for up to eight hours. Every bite is a journey.

Three thousand years ago I wrote about Ragú for the American in Italia magazine. Find my (two) recipes here.

The Wine: Sangiovese is celebrated for its piquant acidity and high-toned red fruit notes. With a few years Sangiovese also exhibits more rustic elements like leather, tobacco, and jam. The bright acidity and mild tannins work to skim any excess heaviness from the palate. Meat and creamy béchamel are a brilliant combination, but admittedly pack some weight. Sangiovese’s gorgeous red fruit is bolstered by the savory elements in the sauce.

Ravioli Gorgonzola and Pears

The Recipe: Gorgonzola and pears are a perfect pairing on their own. Crisp white-green peppery qualities and delicate sweetness of pear meet the opulence of Gorgonzola head on. Together inside of a raviolo, the salty, smoky aspects of cheese tend to take to take over. This is not dessert after all.

The Wine: Moscato Secco ( dry Moscato): Moscato’s pretty aromatics (rose, stone fruit) evoke the freshness of the pear. Moscato’s long and persistent finish keeps apace of the savory Gorgonzola. The result is a harmonious interplay of flavors.

*Bonus Pairing: Try a slice of gorgonzola with a passito dessert wine. Essentially raisin wine, passito is made from dried grapes and brings all that sweetness and huge fruit flavor to the mix.

Penne all’Arrabbiata

The Recipe: Arrabbiata means ‘angry.’ This dish brings together tangy tomato sauce, bright parsley, and a mouthful of peperoncino (hot red pepper).

The Wine: A young Merlot, big on fruit and slightly oak-aged for extra silkiness. Merlot glides alongside the tomato sauce without clashing and tempers the heat just enough to allow the other flavors to sing.

Spaghetti with Clams

The Recipe: A coastal classic, spaghetti with clams is a forkful of the sea in every bite. Ideally made with small, sweet clams, it’s dusted in fresh parsley (and occasionally a little tomato).

The Wine: Dry white wine, Falanghina, hails from Italy’s coastal Campania region. The key here is to accompany the pasta without overwhelming the delicate flavor of the clams. Falanghina has lovely notes of peach, kaiser pear, and a noticeable volcanic minerality (on the nose and in its mouthwatering finish). Just enough acidity to clear excess olive oil from the palate, while the savory mineral finish extends the flavor-life the clams.

Pesto Genovese

The Recipe: Traditional Genovese pesto combines fresh basil leaves, raw pine nuts, parmesan cheese, garlic, and a lot of oil. Explosive flavors and textures make this a challenging pairing, but all the more satisfying.

The Wine: Vermentino, ideally a Vermentino Ligure (from the region of Liguria). Vermentino in this coastal area is typically quite dry with a very bright cleansing acidity and aromas of sweet green herbs, which uplift the basil at the heart of pesto.

Pasta alla Norma

The Recipe: This beloved Sicilian dish combines fried or roasted eggplant, mozzarella, basil and fresh tomato. It’s topped with fresh ricotta salata cheese. Warm, earthy, bright, and savory, Pasta alla Norma is as comforting as it is complex.

The Wine: Rosato Cerasuolo di Vittoria. Another regional pairing, this rosé is made from Sicilian grape variety, Nera d’Avola. Bright red-fruit notes of strawberry and raspberry whirl with big mineral notes (Sicily is highly volcanic). Easy-to-drink, but far from forgettable, the wine itself is a balance of soft and spiky, which acts to amplify the flavors of the pasta.

Spaghetti al Limone

The Recipe: lemon-infused butter, cream, and a final crown of golden lemon zest, a well-executed spaghetti al limone is the epitome of balance, harmony, and elegance.

The Wine: A sparkling wine without too tight a fizz will emphasize the sparkling citrus without stripping away the delicate notes of butter and lemon. Try a Col Fondo Prosecco or a Chardonnay-based Pet Nat (naturally sparkling wine). Subtle effervescence balances any unctuous (oily) aspects, so that lemon remains the star of the show.

Gnocchi Crema di Scampi

The Recipe: This recipe starts with rich seafood bisque, infused with sweet, fleshy prawns, and thickened with cream and butter. Gnocchi hold their own weight here, which makes this a challenging but delightful dish to pair.

The Wine: Syrah-based rosé. Not only a color-coordinated, the salmon pink wine packs a fruity punch, a perfect balance to the savory and profound flavors of the bisque base. Acidity clears cream from the palate, and Syrah’s signature spice commands your attention, celebrating the complexity of this dish.