One of the most important rules for successful wine-and-food pairing is to match the wine to the most prominent element in the dish. In the case of pasta, that's typically the sauce. Pasta sauces come in great variety so we’ll start with the basics: one tomato sauce and one creamy sauce. The tomato recipe is classically straightforward. The creamy one takes some liberties with a traditional Alfredo sauce, but the effect is the same. In Italian cooking, the basics are crucial but should be starting points rather than limits.
Another guideline for choosing the right wine for your pasta is to balance the “weight”—or body or richness—of the food with that of the wine, so that neither overwhelms the other. What do we mean by weight? For food, that comes primarily from the fat in the primary ingredient, cooking method and sauce. Think about how a pasta dish laden with cheese and beef feels heavier than one tossed with olive oil and fresh veggies. For a wine, clues come from the color, grape variety and alcohol level, as well as the warmth of a region’s climate and the techniques used to make a wine. (We have a handy list of wines by weight here for general guidance.)
What Wine Goes with Pasta and Fresh Tomato Sauce?
Recipe: Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato Sauce and Basil
Chef Scott Conant, who currently has four restaurants across the U.S., shows us the Italian way to execute a simple recipe to perfection. A few ingredients, selected and handled with care, bring direct, fundamental flavors. There is no meat. No burbling for hours on a Sunday. Just a few ingredients cooked in about the time it takes to cook the pasta.
The Flavors and “Weight” of the Food
Whether fresh or canned, tomatoes shine in a simple sauce because they are both sweet and acidic. The basil can be pungent and vegetal. The sauce’s richness comes from the oil and the last-minute addition of butter (anathema to more orthodox cooks).
Winning Red Wine Pairing: Chianti
In this case, you want a fruity, bright red wine to swim with the sweetness and acidity of the tomatoes, but not a wine big enough to overwhelm them or clash with the basil. Lots of Italian wines do the trick, but Chianti, a typically medium-bodied Sangiovese from Tuscany, is the go-to. Look for something elegant and pretty. (You will find bottles bearing different designations, including Chianti Classico and Chianti Superiore, that indicate which subregion they came from and how long they were aged. You do not need to pick an expensive wine; Chianti offers lots of great values.) Save super Tuscan blends with Cabernet for bistecca.
Our Editors' Recommended Chianti Wines
• Basilica Cafaggio Chianti Classico 2020 (93 points, $30) is notable for its beautiful balance and pure cherry, strawberry, floral and mineral flavors.
• The satiny Mazzei Chianti Classico Ser Lapo Riserva 2020 (92 points, $39) is defined by black cherry and blackberry fruit, solid tannins and accents of earth and wild herbs.
• The Basilica Cafaggio Chianti Classico Single Estate 2021 (90 points, $19) bottling is round and juicy, more about the fruit, with a straightforward charm.
• Find more recently rated Chiantis in our Wine Ratings Search.
How to Make Scott Conant’s Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 20 ripe medium plum tomatoes (3 to 3 1/2 pounds)
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to finish the dish
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound spaghetti, either high-quality dry or homemade
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 6 to 8 fresh basil leaves, well-washed and dried, stacked and rolled into a cylinder and cut thinly crosswise into a chiffonade
- 1 ounce (about 1/2 cup) Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated, plus extra cheese if desired
Preparation
1. To peel the tomatoes, bring 3 to 4 quarts of water to a boil. Have a large bowl of ice water nearby. Cut a small X on the bottom of each tomato. Ease about 5 tomatoes into the pot. Cook for about 15 seconds, then scoop them out and put them in the ice water. Repeat with remaining tomatoes.
2. Using the tip of a paring knife, pull off the tomato skin starting at the X. If the skin sticks, try a vegetable peeler using a gentle sawing motion. Cut the tomatoes in half through the equator, and use your finger to flick out the seeds.
3. In a wide pan such as a 12-inch sauté pan, put 1/3 cup olive oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes and red pepper flakes, and season lightly with salt and pepper. (As the tomatoes reduce, the salt becomes concentrated.) Cook the tomatoes for a few minutes to soften.
4. Using a potato masher, crush the tomatoes finely. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tomatoes are tender and the sauce has thickened. (Stir frequently and lower the heat if needed to prevent burning.) There should be about 3 cups. (If not using right away, refrigerate for up to 2 days. Freeze for longer storage.)
5. Cook the spaghetti in an ample amount (at least 4 quarts) of well-salted (about a tablespoon) water until just shy of al dente. Drain, reserving a cup of the pasta cooking water.
6. Add the pasta to the pot with the sauce. Cook over medium to medium-high heat, gently and continually tossing with wooden spoons and shaking the pan as needed until the pasta is just tender and incorporated into a cohesive-looking sauce. If the sauce seems too thick, add a little of the pasta cooking liquid.
7. Remove the pan from the heat and toss the butter, basil and cheese with the pasta, which should take on an orange hue. Serve immediately, with extra cheese if desired. Serves 4.
What Wine Goes with Creamy Alfredo Sauce?
Recipe: Lemon and Pea Alfredo Pasta
Giada de Laurentiis, media personality and proprietor of two Las Vegas restaurants, has acted like a bridge between the food of her ancestors and the American public. She embraces the tradition of butter, Parmigiano, salt and pepper, to which she adds an American infusion of Mascarpone cheese; that is then balanced with lemon zest and pink peppercorns.
The Flavors and “Weight” of the Food
The hallmark of Alfredo is its creamy Parmigiano-infused richness. The dish should be substantial and satisfying without becoming too heavy.
Winning White Wine Pairing: Vermentino
Finding a white wine for rich food is a bit of a balancing act. This dish calls for a white with some heft and creaminess, but well shy of a big Chardonnay or an oak-laden white. An Italian Vermentino from Sardinia or Liguria will have decent substance, a body somewhere between Chard and Pinot Grigio. Vermentino also often has a citrusy, minerally tang, which helps cut the cream in the dish and refresh the palate.
Our Editors' Recommended Vermentino Wines
• Cantine Lunae Bosoni Vermentino Colli di Luni-Liguria Black Label 2022 (91 points, $44) is intense with hints of peach and apple, almond, herbs and minerals.
• Also intensely flavored, Collemassari Vermentino Montecucco Melacce 2022 (90 points, $18) offers peach, white grapefruit, herbs and minerals; the texture verges on creamy but is backed by refreshing acidity.
• Argiolas Vermentino di Sardegna Costamolino 2022 (89 points, $17) is balanced and fresh with a creamy mix of melon, pineapple and citrus, ending with a salty finish.
• Find more Vermentinos in our Wine Ratings Search.
How to Make Giada de Laurentiis’s Pasta Alfredo
Ingredients
- 1 pound fusilli col buco, such as Rustichella d'Abruzzo or Setaro
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano, plus more for finishing
- 1 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pink peppercorns, ground
Preparation
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just under al dente, about 10 or 11 minutes. When done, you will add the pasta directly to the sauce and reserve the pasta water.
2. Meanwhile, heat a large, straight-sided skillet over medium. Add the butter. When the butter is melted, add the garlic and cook, stirring often until soft and fragrant. Add 1/2 cup pasta water and reduce heat to low.
3. When the pasta is ready, remove it from the water and add it directly to the pan with the sauce. Raise heat to medium and sprinkle 1 1/2 cups Parmigiano directly onto the pasta. Stir to combine. Add the mascarpone, lemon zest and salt. Toss well to coat, adding pasta water as needed to thin the sauce and to finish cooking the pasta. Add the peas, lemon juice and remaining cheese. Toss well to combine, adding more pasta water as needed. You will more than likely use close to 1 1/2 cups pasta water total. Sprinkle with the pink peppercorns and additional Parmigiano, if desired. Serves 6.
Other Classic Wine and Pasta Pairings
Looking to make another kind of pasta? Below, we have plenty of other recipe suggestions and recommended wine matches from our recipe testers and wine tasters for versions starring shrimp or other seafood, hearty meat sauces or veggies. For more ideas, visit our Recipe Search, Wine-and-Food Pairing Tool and cooking articles.
Cacio e Pepe
Pasta, cheese, butter, pepper and salt are all it takes to make this classic comfort dish, which is about technique and the quality of the ingredients. Check out chef Chris Borges' version, which he pairs with a medium-bodied white wine that will stand up to the cheese but emphasizes fresh acidity and citrus and orchard fruit; spice and floral notes bring out the pepper in the dish.
White wine pairing: Verdicchio, Trebbiano, Malvasia or blends, such as Orvieto, that contain some of these grapes
Red wine pairing: Chianti or other Sangiovese
Carbonara
The bacon-and-eggs of pasta, a classic carbonara consists of spaghetti and pancetta, with a quick sauce of egg and Parmigiano and a generous grinding of black pepper. For a purist's version of the recipe, we turned to distinguished Italian chef Fabio Trabocchi, of Grand Award–winning restaurant Fiola in Washington, D.C., who grew up in the Italian region of Le Marche. He opts for more flavorful guanciale (cheek or jowl) in lieu of pancetta (from the belly) and maccheroni instead of spaghetti to better hold the sauce.
White wine pairing: Taking a similar approach to the cacio e pepe, look for lighter fresh whites to balance out the richness of the dish, such as Orvieto and Soave, or varieties such as Pinot Grigio and Pinot Bianco.
Red wine pairing: To align with the meaty element of the sauce, choose a light, fresh red such as a Dolcetto from Piedmont or Valpolicella (not Amarone) in Northern Italy, or a cru Beaujolais (Nouveau's more sophisticated siblings, from one of 10 village appellations in the French region), which can combine bright red fruit with savory, spice or herb accents.
Pasta with Pesto
Purists may favor the Ligurian classic starring the bright flavor of basil, with support from Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino Sardo, pine nuts, raw garlic and olive oil. But chefs of all backgrounds enjoy putting twists on pesto, swapping one ingredient for another or adding elements to enhance the flavor.
Renowned chef Jacques Pépin shared a version of spaghetti with pesto that doesn't stray far from the original but incorporates jalapeño for some kick, as well as pumpkin seeds instead of the usual pine nuts or walnuts.
Pépin's wine pairing: A classic, dry rosé from Provence in southern France
Red wine pairing: For those who want a red with this pasta course, Pépin recommends a medium-bodied wine with herbal accents, such as a Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley or a Côtes du Rhône blend from southern France.
For chef Michael Fiorelli's whole-wheat fettuccine with pesto and ricotta salata, he adds arugula alongside the basil, swaps cashews in for pine nuts and roasts the garlic to mellow its flavors.
White wine pairing: Grechetto, a variety grown in central Italy that typically offers medium acidity, bright fresh fruit and often ripe citrus flavors
Pasta Primavera
While pasta primavera originally referred to a dish made with spring vegetables, it can easily be adapted to any vibrant mix of veggies in season. This version, from the mother-daughter team of food writer Nancy Harmon Jenkins and chef Sara Jenkins, brings together asparagus, fava beans and peas. But they have previously incorporated ingredients such as green chickpeas, wild fennel and artichokes, and other chefs routinely incorporate summer produce. Get the Jenkins’ recipe!
White wine pairing: Both Nancy and Sara gravitate towards bright, minerally, high-acid whites to serve as a foil to the vegetables, such as an Albariño from northwestern Spain or a Verdicchio from Italy.
Pasta Puttanesca
This Southern Italian dish—which brings together black olives, capers, garlic and anchovies—calls for medium-bodied wines. Get our recipe!
Red wine pairing: A Primitivo, also from Southern Italy, with bright red fruit and herbal accents
Alternative wine pairings: A dry rosé (rosato in Italian) or a crisp white such as Sauvignon Blanc. For Italian examples, look to northern regions such as Alto Adige and Friuli, where the variety may be bottled alone or in blends.
Pasta with Seafood
With nearly infinite possible variations—including seafood in red sauces, olive oil or white wine—we’ll highlight one that strikes a balance: Ci Siamo chef Hilary Sterling's Cavatelli allo Scoglio, a pasta dish with crab, cherry tomatoes and vermouth. She opts to pair it with white wines from Northern Italian regions such as Trentino and Alto Adige for light-to-medium bodied wines that are refreshing and emphasize minerality.
White wine pairings: Pinot Grigio, Friulano, Garganega (such as in Soave Classico), Grechetto or Pinot Bianco
