Wine

What to Drink with Baked Pasta

by:
January 21, 2010

Our friend Sasha Smith, who has a great wine site of her own, Spin The Bottlepairs wines with food52's recipes. We hope you'll have a chance to check out some of the wines she recommends. - A&M

Much as I love the nose-to-tail challenge, innards and the like are just too varied to come up with a good go-to wine choice that covers all the options. So this week I’m tackling the baked pasta match. (And doing so via the good old fashioned written word. I’ll be back next week with video, scout’s honor.) 

Unlike offal, baked pasta is a little easier to stereotype. There’s always a creamy/cheesy element and tomatoes often play a part – as do earthy flavors, from prosciutto to olives to butternut squash. More often than not, the inflection is Italian. (No offense to the great mac & cheese, kugel, and pastitsio recipes many of you have submitted so far.)

Shop the Story

Therefore, my first thought is a Sangiovese-based wine from Italy. The most planted grape in Italy, Sangiovese is the driving force behind Chianti and a number of other Tuscan wines. It’s known for its acidity and its earthiness. The former cuts through the creaminess of, say, ricotta and matches the tart fruitiness of tomatoes, while the latter echoes the robust quality of whatever meat or vegetable you’re featuring in the dish. It also doesn’t produce very alcoholic wines, which is a good thing when you’re serving such rib-sticking fare. Heavy food plus high-alcohol wine makes for a dreadful morning after.

This 2008 Santa Vincenza Morellino di Scansano ($17) would work well. A blend of 85% Sangiovese (known in the region as Morellino), 10% Ciliegiolo and 5% Alicante, the wine has tons of dried herb, olive, earth and dark cherry on the nose and palate. There’s ample acidity, but only moderate tannins and a slightly silky texture. It’s like a riper, softer version of Chianti. That’s because the wine comes from the Tuscan coast, which is warmer than the rolling hills of that iconic wine region to the northeast. (Warmer climate = riper grapes.) This wine splits the difference nicely between Old World elegance and New World user-friendliness. Like your favorite lasagna recipe, it’s a crowd pleaser, but won’t insult anyone’s intelligence. 

My second thought, particularly if your tastes run more to white and you’re dishing up some macaroni and cheese, is to break out your favorite oaked chardonnay, either from California or Tuscany. The wine’s creamy, buttery character will amplify the richness of the food tenfold. 

Finally, I’ll close with a warning. I realize this seems a bit alarmist given the laid-back nature of baked pasta, but it’s an important point: avoid pairing these dishes with very tannic wines, like Cabernet Sauvignon. Big tannins clash with soft, mild cheeses and tomatoes. Save it for the steak instead.

Sasha Smith writes about wine and food on her website, spinthebottleny. In her spare time, she is the Executive Director of a New York based media company.

 

 

See what other Food52 readers are saying.

  • Memphis
    Memphis
  • mariaraynal
    mariaraynal
  • Amanda Hesser
    Amanda Hesser
  • spinthebottleny
    spinthebottleny
  • Kelsey Banfield
    Kelsey Banfield
Food52 (we cook 52 weeks a year, get it?) is a food and home brand, here to help you eat thoughtfully and live joyfully.

8 Comments

Memphis January 23, 2010
I love love LOVE Morellino di Scansano, one of my favorites is Poggio Alle Sughere. Always goes good with a baked pasta.
 
mariaraynal January 23, 2010
Great piece. And, oh, how I love a good Sangiovese.
 
Amanda H. January 23, 2010
Thanks for the insightful tips! I never thought about how tannins and mild cheeses would clash -- oh, the number of baked pastas I've had with a cab! What you say makes so much sense.
 
spinthebottleny January 21, 2010
Mrslarkin -- no deer in the headlights, think head held high! Kelsey, it's not easy to match wines with heavier foods. You want something weighty enough to stand up to their substance, but not so big that it will overwhelm you. Zinfandels from great producers like Ridge, Bandol, from Provence, Nebbiolo-based wines like Barolo, some Malbecs...these can all work with braises, roasts and the like.
 
Kelsey B. January 21, 2010
Thanks for demystifying how to pair wine with heavy baked pasta, it is so helpful since my family tends to eat the heavier fare this time of year.
 
mrslarkin January 21, 2010
I will actually know a thing or two when I go into the wine shop now, instead of my usual deer-in-the-headlights gaze. Thanks Sasha.
 
spinthebottleny January 21, 2010
You're welcome! Let me know if you get a chance to try this and tell me what you think!
 
eatboutique January 21, 2010
So good to learn from you. Thank you!