Page 6 of 11
Italian Food and Wine Pairing Guide, Page 6
Pairings at a Glance
Showing 51–60 of 109 dishes
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
Also worth trying
Appellations to explore
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,
Perfect grape varieties
Also worth trying
Appellations to explore
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.
Perfect grape varieties
Also worth trying
Appellations to explore
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
Appellations to explore
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.
Perfect grape varieties
Also worth trying
Appellations to explore
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.
Perfect grape varieties
Also worth trying
Appellations to explore
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
Also worth trying
Appellations to explore
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
Also worth trying
Appellations to explore
Polenta e schie
Polenta e Schie are tiny grey lagoon shrimps served on a wedge of soft white polenta, the Venetian back-canal classic. The shrimps come from the Chioggia side of the lagoon; the polenta is always white, never yellow. Soave Classico DOC from Garganega or a Prosecco Superiore di Valdobbiadene DOCG answer the sweet-crustacean shrimp without getting in the way.
Perfect grape varieties
Also worth trying
Appellations to explore
Polpo alla pignata
Polpo alla Pignata is a Salento octopus stew, slow-cooked in terracotta with tomato, onion, olives and bay until the flesh gives way under a spoon. The dish belongs to the Puglian seaside table, where the pignata concentrates the sauce and lends a faint earthy note. A chilled Salice Salentino rosato or a fresh Verdeca-based white keeps the tomato and brine in line without flattening the octopus.
Perfect grape varieties
Also worth trying
Appellations to explore
