Friday, February 4, 2022

Cheesy Vegetable Lasagna paired with Oltrepo Pavese Wine #ItalianFWT

 Vegetarian Lasagna with three cheeses and zucchini replacing one of the pasta layers for a delicious, comforting dish that is a little healthier than your standard versions.  I paired mine with a wonderful bottle of Oltrepo Pavese, a slightly sparkling wine from Italy.  It was perfect.

Dinner plate with wine

Susannah, author of Avvinare, A Wine Blog, invited us to join her in Discovering the Wines of Oltropo Pavese.  You can read her invitation post and learn more about these wines and the region in which they are grown.

Wines

I received 4 bottles of wine from Susannah that were provided by the Consorzio for tasting purposes.  I was not required to blog or post about these wines nor did I receive any monetary compensation.  

wine

When I made this lasagna and went into my wine fridge to open a bottle to have with dinner, I spied this bottle of Fracesco Quaqarini Sangue di Giuda dell'Oltrepo Pavese.  I thought that this slightly sweet, lightly sparkling wine would pair well with the flavors of the Lasagna that included a smoked Mozzarella cheese.  

This wine is a blend of Barbera and Croatina with only a 6% alcohol content.  While researching this wine I found information on Vivino.com, written by Sommelier, Miko that I thought was interesting and want to share with you.

Sangue di Giuda is a sweet wine from Oltrepò Pavese. The name (Judas' blood) is linked both to its colour and to a bizarre local legend. Judas, gone to hell because of his evil behavior, had bitterly repented. Jesus, as a sign of forgiveness, made him resurrect in flesh and blood in Oltrepò, but the locals didn't take it well and tried to kill him. He survived thanks to a gift he gave to local winemakers: a miracle that healed their vines from a disease. Peace made and brand new name for the wine.

I am not a fan of sweet nor sparkling wines but I was very glad that I opened this bottle to go with the Lasagna.  The low alcohol content along with the smooth, juicy, fruitiness and the wee bit of sparkle made me feel like I was having a celebration.  It paired very well with the pasta and while this Oltrepo Pavese is not a wine that I would normally reach for it was very nice to have in the house during the holidays for those guests who prefer a sweeter, lighter wine that what I normally have on hand.  

The Italian Food Wine and Travel group are gathering tomorrow morning at 11 AM ET to talk about these wines and our discoveries on twitter chat.  We would love for you to join us.  You will find us by following #ItalianFWT.  Here are some of the topics we will be discussing......


Hope to see you there....Here is the recipe for this Cheesy Vegetable Lasagna......


18 comments:

  1. To me this sounds amazing. I am all about a sparkling wine. Ours had thick, creamy bubbles which I don't think you would have enjoyed. The lasagne sounds perfect for this weather.

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  2. How did I not know, after all these years, that you are not a fan of sparking wine?!? Well, your wines sound intriguing and that lasagna looks amazing!

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    1. Thanks Cam...I am learning to like more of the sparkling wines but they still aren't my first pick.

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  3. Wendy, I am so glad that your enjoyed the Sangue di Giuda even if not your usual fare. It's always good to keep an open mind. Your lasagna sounds divine. Cheers, Susannah

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  4. What a wonderful vegetable lasagna recipe! And how cool that you paired it with the sangue di giuda. It has such a cool story behind it!

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  5. I paused when I read that you opened the Sangue di Giuda with dinner, as I know your normal response to sweet wines. Surprise! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

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    1. I was surprised too Jeff. Perhaps my palate is learning to appreciate the diversity of different styles of wine.

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  6. I'm loving your lasagna recipe. And I can totally see your wine pairing well with your lasagne.

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  7. I want a vegetarian lasagne now! I didn't know what to think when I saw it was a sweet wine for dinner. Whoa. Someone was feeling adventurous! It seemed to work, though!

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  8. What an unusual pairing of a sweet frizzante with lasagne... I'm intrigued! The lasagne looks perfect for this colder-than-ever-seeming winter!

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  9. Good for you for being adventurous and serving this sweet frizzante with dinner!

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