Corsica; French with a lot of Italian Influence #Winophiles #SoupSaturdaySwappers

We are visiting Corsica with the French Winophiles this month.  Corsica is an Island in the Mediterranean.  It is mountainous and densely forested.  It has belonged to France for over 200 yrs but it is still very Italian in culture.

This delicious, quick and easy to prepare Minestra, or a variation of it, is very likely to be served up on the Island.  Corsica is known for it's food and wine.  Who knew?  I certainly didn't..........

When Payal, of Keep the Peas invited us to join her on a virtual visit to Corsica, I was excited.  When I started researching and found out that while Corsica is a French Island it still has tons of Italian Culture, I was thrilled.  Talk about the best of both worlds!!

Then, my friend Colleen, of Faith, Hope, Love and Luck, volunteered to host Soup Saturday Swappers and chose the theme of Soups with Pasta.  I knew I was golden.  I love when all the stars align and I can combine events.  

I went onto Wine.com and talked to agent Seth.  Seth and I are getting to know each other quite well.  In fact, just a couple of weeks ago, I introduced Seth to my readers of Italian FWT when he helped me choose a couple of great bottles of wines made in the appasimento method.

This time I told Seth that I had decided to make a Sweet Sausage Minestra and was looking for a Corsican wine with which to pair it.  Seth immediately suggested a Rose which had been my first inclination as well.  Seth recommended the Domaine Poli Niellucciu.  

This is the write up on the wine as posted on wine.com:

Critical Acclaim WW91 Wilfred Wong of Wine.com

COMMENTARY: The 2018 Domaine Poli Niellucciu Rosé offers a crossroad between France and Italy. This Corsican wine exhibits strength and richness.

 TASTING NOTES: This wine is vivid and Old World in style. Its aromas and flavors of vivacious red fruit and savory spices should pair it well with grilled Italian sausage on a sweet baguette. (Tasted: January 22, 2019, San Francisco, CA)

It sounded exactly what I was looking for to pair with my Sweet Sausage Minestra that I wanted to make for Soup Swappers.

Niellucciu is genetically linked to Sangiovese and thrives on Corsica.  I can't speak as to what the other wines made with this grape are like but if they are as good as this Rose then I can't wait to try them.  The Rose was bright, crisp and acidic.  It was looking for food and was delighted when I gave it the rich Minestra to brighten up.

The Minestra was layers of flavor that tasted like it had taken hours instead of just minutes to make.  Brothy but crammed full of sausage, spinach and noodles it was a great light meal and would be a perfect starter for a dinner party.

The best thing about this pairing though was sharing it with my Grand Niece, Lily, affectionately known as Bug.  Lily had come out to take a CPL class and then stayed for the night.  She loved the soup.  The wine was a little dry for her, so I finished it up and she switched to a Riesling.  It's funny how much better food and wine always tastes when shared with those you love.

Speaking of sharing let's take a look at what the other Soup Saturday Swappers cooked up today using their noodles........

• Aash-e Reshte from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Beef and Tomato Macaroni Soup from Palatable Pastime
• 7-Ingredient Broken Spaghetti Pasta Soup from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Chicken & Tomato Macaroni Soup For Two from Sneha's Recipe
• Minestra from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Shrimp and Tomato Stew with Fregola from Karen's Kitchen Stories

If you are a blogger interested in joining Soup Saturday Swappers just let me know in the comments below.  We post recipes based on an ingredient or theme on the third Saturday of each month.

I, and the other Winophiles, will be meeting up for Twitter chat today for further discussion on Corsican Wines.  Some of us share recipes but that is not a requirement for this group.  We are always happy to have others join in on the chat.  You can find us at 11 AM ET following #winophiles.  Here are the articles we will be discussing today:

• Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares "Friday Night Pizzas + Domaine Poli Niellucciu Rosé 2018" 
• Cathie from Side Hustle Wino shares "Wines from Corsica? Of "Corse" 
• Robin of Crushed Grape Chronicles shares "Corsica – An Island and it’s wines" 
• Martin from Enofylz Wine Blog shares "Mixiote de Pescado Paired with Domaine Petroni Corse Rosé" 
• Linda at My Full Wine Glass shares "Spaghetti and meatballs for a Corsican wine" 
• Gwen from Wine Predator shares something delicious... 
• Payal at Keep the Peas shares "Corsica: The Maquis, The Mountains, The Sea" 
• Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm shares "Corsica; French with a lot of Italian Influence" 
• Cindy from Grape Experiences shares "Drench Yourself in the Sunshine of Corsica with Domaine Petroni Rosé Corse 2018 and Provençal Vegetable Gratin" 
• Nicole at Nibbling Gypsy shares "Corsican Happiness: Domaine Giacometti Sempre Cuntentu Sciaccarellu with a Flavorful Seafood Stew"

#soup, #sausage, #pasta, #spinach,

Soup

French with Italian Influence

Yield: 4 servings

Author: Wendy Klik

Sweet Sausage Minestra

Layers of flavor that taste like it has taken hours instead of just minutes to make. Brothy but crammed full of sausage, spinach and noodles it is a great light meal but would also be a perfect starter for a dinner party.

prep time: 10 Mcook time: 30 Mtotal time: 40 M

ingredients:

• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 pound sweet Italian Sausage
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (10 oz) package baby spinach leaves
• salt and pepper, to taste
• small pinch of ground nutmeg
• 1 (32 oz) box chicken stock
• 3/4 c. small pasta noodles
• Parmesan cheese, if desired

instructions:

How to cook Sweet Sausage Minestra

1. Place the olive oil in a soup pot over med high heat.  Add the sausage and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.  Add the onion, cook and stir for a couple of minutes until it starts to soften.  Add the garlic and cook for a minute or two.
2. Add the beans and spinach to the pot.  Season with the salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Add the chicken stock and 2 cups of water.  Bring to a boil, then stir in the pasta.  Lower the heat, cover and simmer until pasta is tender, about 10 minutes.  Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

NOTES:

Adapted from a recipe by Rachael Ray.

Calories
386.97

Fat (grams)
14.64

Sat. Fat (grams)
4.69

Carbs (grams)
34.80

Fiber (grams)
6.46

Net carbs
28.34

Sugar (grams)
2.65

Protein (grams)
30.35

Sodium (milligrams)
1081.90

Cholesterol (grams)
36.90

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