Wines that go best with pasta

Eva Pizarro

Sommelier at Fierro restaurant and trainer at Tandem Gastronómico.

This week, I'm going into Chef Piero Ronconi's kitchen. He has been serving ‘Authentic Fresh Pasta’ in Valencia for a few months now, and of course, I find him with his hands in the dough.

I’ve brought along some wines so we can test which one is best suited for each type of pasta. Let’s explore the pairings between pasta and wine!

‘The world of pasta is so vast that even Italians find it challenging to grasp all the different shapes in circulation,’ Piero warns me.

A tradition so extensive that it can vary from village to village even within a distance of just 5 km. To simplify and approach it in a general way, we will divide them into two main categories: 

• DURUM WHEAT PASTA: is made from water and durum wheat flour. This mixture is extruded through bronze moulds to achieve a rougher texture that better absorbs the sauce. All imaginable shapes and designs are created, and they are left to dry so they can be sold worldwide, with a shelf life of up to a year.
• FRESH PASTAS: is obtained by mixing soft or durum wheat flour, eggs and salt, or just water and flour. Normally it’s a type of pasta that is made by hand, and it’s a very laborious job, as I am finding out while we are preparing the dough.
  As it contains egg and does not undergo any drying process, it should be consumed on the same day. Here, you will also find many types of shapes, both long and short.

What are the most popular pasta dishes for you?

• ‘Tagliatelle bolognese: This recipe is typical of the city of Bologna, where fresh pasta and the eponymous sauce originally come. Fettuccine or tagliatelle are made from fresh pasta and strips up to 30 cm long and 1-1.5 cm wide are formed. 
  The sauce is made with a stir-fry of celery, carrot, onion, minced veal, red wine and crushed peeled tomatoes. I also infuse it with bay leaf, rosemary and fresh sage at the end of cooking, to counteract the intensity of the sauce.’

The sauce smells fantastic, and it will be the foundation of our pairing. We open the wines and are charmed by a Monastrell red from Alicante, and La Tremenda from Bodegas Enrique Mendoza. It displays ripe fruit and Mediterranean balsamic notes that blend perfectly with the sage and rosemary Piero has added to the sauce.
We were also not disappointed by the combination with Verdes Castros, a red wine made from Mencía grapes in Valedorras, a marvellous wine region in the interior of Galicia.

• ‘Pasta carbonara: This recipe is typical of Rome. Durum wheat pasta is used, typically spaghetti or other short pasta shapes according to preference. The key is to use durum wheat pasta so that the al dente texture contrasts with the creaminess and richness of the sauce. The sauce is made with Guanciale (cured pork cheek and jowl seasoned with ground pepper), egg, pepper, Pecorino Romano, and Parmigiano.’

Piero stresses that authentic carbonara never contains cream!

We continue opening bottles, and here, aged white wines reveal themselves as the best match. The creaminess and fat of the sauce are balanced by the acidity of the wines. Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano are enhanced by the nuances of these wines. Finally, we are left with 2 options: Somos, a barrel-aged white from Somontano and a Pago de Tharsys from the D.O. Utiel-Requena.

• ‘Penne rigate all'arrabbiata: It’s a short, dried durum wheat pasta, served with a sauce made of tomato, garlic, Italian chilli or cayenne, and chopped parsley. Arrabbiata means angry, because of the spiciness. It’s a traditional recipe from Naples.’

Well, let's play with that spicy touch, we love it with Amontillado wines from Jerez or Montilla-Moriles! It enhances the spiciness of the chilli and brings a host of new flavours to the dish.

However, if we want to tone down the spiciness and take a bit more of a risk with our pairing, a semi-sweet wine like Jardín Real, made with Malvasia or even a Cream wine such as Cruz Conde will not leave anyone indifferent.

• ‘Pasta with pesto: Typical dish of the city of Genoa. Mainly durum wheat sultanas are used and served with basil sauce, garlic, oil, pine nuts and Parmigiano. It also goes well with fresh pasta or gnocchi as I like to serve it’ Piero continues.

Undoubtedly Marqués de Riscal Verdejo fits perfectly, blending its herbaceous notes and slight bitterness with the green pesto prepared by the chef.

There is no doubt that pasta can be paired with a wide variety of wines, but we can conclude that the sauces and the texture of the pasta will be decisive in choosing the best accompaniments.

Piero and I are leaving you with a challenge: here are two classic pasta recipes for you to find the best wine pairings. Enjoy experimenting and tasting — it's the best takeaway from our day spent hands-on in the kitchen.

• Spaghetti with clams: Durum wheat spaghetti with clam, parsley and white wine sauce.
• Ravioli di san Domenico: Typical dish of the restaurant of the same name, San Domenico (Imola, Emilia-Romagna). A round, fresh pasta raviolo, filled with a circle of ricotta and spinach and an egg yolk inside. It’s served with a butter and truffle sauce, or a cheaper version with butter and sage.