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Italian Food and Wine Pairing Guide, Page 10
Pairings at a Glance
Showing 91–100 of 109 dishes
Pizza Diavola (Pizza alla Diavola)
Pizza Diavola is a Campanian-style spicy salami pizza, built on tomato, mozzarella and chilli heat rather than heavy toppings. The salt and fat need acidity first, then enough red fruit to keep the spice generous. Sangiovese, Barbera, Lambrusco and a bright Montepulciano d'Abruzzo all work, while Falanghina is the white option when the chilli is sharper than the salami.
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Pumpkin risotto
Pumpkin Risotto (or Risotto alla Zucca) is characterized by its gentle sweetness and smooth texture, finds a harmonious match with oaked Chardonnay. These wines, known for their creamy texture and rich flavor profile, mirror the pumpkin's subtle sweetness, while their oak influences add complexity.The balanced acidity of these wines cuts through the risotto's richness, ensuring a well-rounded tasting experience. Alternatively, medium-bodied reds like Chianti or Barbera can also pair effectively. Their vibrant acidity and fruit-forward notes provide a pleasing contrast to the risotto's earthy flavors, especially if the dish includes ingredients like mushrooms or gamey elements.
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Pizza Romana (Pizza Romana)
Pizza Romana is a Lazio pizza style where a thinner, crisper base gives the topping more bite. Tomato, anchovy, oregano and mozzarella need wines that can refresh salt and acid at once. Sangiovese and Montepulciano bring the right red-fruit snap, while Falanghina or Prosecco keeps the finish lighter.
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Radicchio risotto
Risotto al Radicchio, known for its slightly bitter and nutty flavor from the radicchio, can be paired effectively with a red wine that has little or no tannins. A suggested wine is Valpolicella from the Veneto region in Italy. Valpolicella is typically a light, fruity wine with low tannins, which can complement the unique flavors of the radicchio in the risotto without overpowering it. The DOC (Denominazione de Origine Controllata) Valpolicella is a classic style, known for being a simple, dry red wine that's best consumed within 5 years of production.
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Pinsa Romana (Pinsa Romana)
Pinsa Romana is a Lazio oval flatbread with a light, airy bite and enough olive oil to make freshness essential. It can carry tomato and cheese, but the dough itself is the point. Falanghina, Vermentino or dry Prosecco Superiore suit simple pinsa, while Sangiovese works when cured meat or tomato becomes the lead flavour.
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Risi e bisi
Risi e Bisi is less a risotto than an all'onda rice soup, Veneto's offering of spring peas to the season's first risotto. The Venetians cooked it for the Doge on Saint Mark's Day. Soave Classico DOC or a dry Prosecco from Valdobbiadene answers the peas and the butter with green acidity.
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Calzone (Calzone)
Calzone is a Campanian folded pizza, usually richer than an open pie because cheese, tomato and cured pork are sealed inside the dough. The wine needs to cut through melted filling without fighting the crust. Barbera, Sangiovese and Lambrusco keep the centre bright, while a crisp rosato is useful when ricotta is the dominant note.
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Squid ink risotto
Squid Ink Risotto (or Risotto al Nero di Seppia), known for its striking black color and rich, briny flavor from squid ink, often includes squid or cuttlefish. The dish's intensity calls for a wine like Etna Bianco from Sicily, made primarily from the Carricante grape. This wine is celebrated for its bright minerality and citrus notes, which offer a refreshing counterpoint to the dish's briny, umami flavors.Its moderate alcohol content (10-13%) and pronounced acidity help to cut through the risotto's richness without overshadowing the dish's unique flavors. Etna Bianco's light body and minimal tannin content ensure a harmonious match with the creamy texture and savory depth of the Squid Ink Risotto.
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Gorgonzola, pear, and walnut risotto
This risotto combines the creamy, bold flavor of Gorgonzola, the sweet, floral notes of pear, and the rich, earthy taste of walnuts. A full-bodied red like Cabernet Sauvignon, with its commanding tannins and notes of black cherry and blackberry, can stand up to the risotto's flavors, complementing the Gorgonzola and walnuts. The wine's body and moderate to high alcohol content ensure it can handle the dish's complexity and intensity.
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Panzerotti (Panzerotti)
Panzerotti are Apulian fried half-moons, commonly filled with tomato and mozzarella so the first impression is hot dough and molten cheese. They need wines with lift rather than weight. Negroamaro rosato, lighter Primitivo, Falanghina or a dry sparkling Glera cut the frying oil and keep the tomato lively.
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