Tuscany
4 wine routes
All 4 Tuscany drives
Page 6 of 11
Italian Food and Wine Pairing Guide, Page 6
Pairings at a Glance
Showing 51–60 of 109 dishes
Pappa al Pomodoro
Pappa al Pomodoro is Tuscan peasant cooking distilled: stale bread, San Marzano tomatoes, garlic and basil simmered in olive oil until they become a single dish. The Florentines and Sienese argue the seasoning; everyone agrees on fruity Tuscan olive oil as the finishing touch. A young Chianti Classico DOCG or Morellino di Scansano DOCG echoes the tomato acidity and carries the bread without outmuscling the basil.
Perfect grape varieties
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Appellations to explore
Pasta alla carbonara
Pasta alla Carbonara is a beloved dish from Rome (in the region of Lazio), featuring a rich sauce made from egg, Pecorino Romano cheese, guanciale (cured pork cheek), and plenty of black pepper. The key to a good wine pairing is to find something that can cut through the creaminess and richness without overpowering the subtle flavors of the sauce. Fruity red wines with a touch of acidity are ideal, as they can balance the fat and saltiness of the guanciale.Recommended red wines include Pinot Noir, Chianti Classico, Barbera, and Montepulciano. These wines offer a pleasant fruitiness and sufficient acidity to cleanse the palate.For those who prefer white wines, Pinot Grigio, Soave, Gavi, or Riesling are also excellent choices. These wines are generally lighter, with a high acidity that helps cut through the richness of the carbonara while complementing its flavor.
Perfect grape varieties
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Pasta alla Norma
Pasta alla Norma is Catania's signature, rigatoni or spaghetti with tomato, fried aubergine, ricotta salata and basil. The dish is named for Bellini's opera; the Catanese composer wrote it, so the Sicilians wrote the pasta. Nerello Mascalese from Etna Rosso DOC brings the volcanic mineral lift; a fruity Frappato from Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG takes the summer version.
Perfect grape varieties
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Pasta arrabbiata
Pasta all'arrabbiata, a classic spicy dish from the Lazio region, features a fiery tomato sauce made with garlic, red pepper flakes, and tomatoes. The key to pairing wine with this spicy dish is to choose a wine that can handle the heat without overpowering the sauce. Light and crisp Italian white wines such as Verdicchio, Gavi, Pinot Grigio, and Vermentino are excellent choices. These wines typically offer high acidity which helps to balance the spiciness of the arrabbiata sauce, while their light body doesn't compete with the sauce's flavor. The wines' citrus and floral notes can also enhance the sweetness and tang of the tomatoes in the sauce.These wines are served chilled and are particularly effective at refreshing the palate when eating something as spicy as Pasta all'arrabbiata. If one prefers red wine, a light red such as Sangiovese, with low tannins and higher acidity, could also be a suitable match,
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Pasta Cacio e Pepe
Pasta Cacio e Pepe is the Roman trattoria classic, tonnarelli or spaghetti tossed with Pecorino Romano and freshly cracked black pepper, emulsified with starchy pasta water. Two ingredients, infinite technique. Frascati Superiore DOCG or a dry Orvieto DOC cut the sheep-cheese fat; Cesanese del Piglio DOCG is the light-red local answer.
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Pastiera napoletana
Pastiera Napoletana is the Neapolitan Easter tart, ricotta and cooked wheat berries perfumed with orange blossom water, baked in a shortcrust shell. The recipe belongs to pre-Roman Naples; the orange-blossom perfume is unmistakable. Falanghina Passito from Campania handles the ricotta sweetness; a Fiano di Avellino Passito or Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio Liquoroso give the southern alternatives.
Perfect grape varieties
Pecorino sardo e pan carasau
Pecorino Sardo and Pan Carasau is the shepherd lunch of Sardinia, aged sheep cheese shaved onto tissue-thin carta da musica bread. The cheese is salty and intense; the bread is dry and crisp. Vermentino di Gallura DOCG lifts it into the afternoon; a young Cannonau di Sardegna DOC takes it into evening. Monica and Nuragus are the quieter local options.
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Appellations to explore
Cinque Terre/Cinque Terre SciacchetràDOC
Monica di SardegnaDOC
Val di CorniaDOC
Vermentino di GalluraDOCG
Vermentino di SardegnaDOC
Pesce spada alla Siciliana
Pesce Spada alla Siciliana grills swordfish steaks and finishes them with capers, green olives, tomato and parsley, the classic agrodolce Sicilian treatment. Messina and the western Sicilian ports still run the daily swordfish auctions. Grillo from Marsala-adjacent vineyards or an Etna Bianco DOC from Carricante stays in the same ocean-mineral register; Inzolia is the quieter option.
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Pizzoccheri (Pizzoccheri della Valtellina)
Buckwheat tagliatelle layered with Savoy cabbage, potatoes, Casera DOP cheese and butter sizzled with garlic and sage. The signature primo of Valtellina in Lombardy, where it is De.Co. (Denominazione Comunale) protected. Pairs with Valtellina Superiore Sassella or Inferno DOCG.
Perfect grape varieties
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Polenta alla Valdostana
Polenta alla Valdostana is Alpine polenta finished with melted Fontina and butter from the summer pastures, the Valle d'Aosta's answer to winter. The cheese is added off the heat so it strings rather than breaks. Torrette Petit Rouge or a Fumin from the Valle d'Aosta DOC bring the fruit to cut the Fontina fat; a lighter Nebbiolo from Carema works if the polenta is heavily buttered.
Perfect grape varieties
Petit Rouge
Also worth trying
Nebbiolo
Fumin
