Pasta, Wine, and a Cookbook Review #ItalianFWT

Homemade Fettuccine Noodles tossed with Mascarpone, Ricotta, and Fresh Herbs.  I opened a bottle of Collezione di Paolo Poggerissi 2021Chianti and a Marco Bonfante 2022 Gavi di Gavi to see which paired better with this dish.

Cam of Culinary Cam is hosting our Italian Food Wine and Travel group this month and asked us to join her in sharing wines made with grapes indigenous or native to Italy.  The possibilities seem endless.

I went out and purchased a bottle of Gavi wine for this event.  I first tried Gavi in 2022 when I was hosting one of our Wine Pairing Weekend Events and asked the others to share varietals that were new to them.  

I had never heard of Gavi but was making a Ligurian Seafood Salad and research showed that a Gavi should pair well with it.  The research was correct.   The following year I enjoyed a Gavi at a restaurant that my husband took me to as part of my Christmas present.  It was paired with Sea Bass over Mascarpone Risotto.  You can read all about that pairing and how it came about in this post.

I wanted to revisit this Italian wine made from the Cortese grape and share it for today's event.  The Bonfante family has been making wines in the Piedmont area for 8 generations.  This Gavi di Gavi is well-balanced, bright, and crisp. It tastes of citrus with a good dash of minerality.  I went in search of a recipe with which I could pair this wine.

I decided to make pasta as I got a pasta attachment for my Kitchen-Aid mixer for Christmas and now look for any reason I can find to make pasta.  I went into a cookbook that I have from Food & Wine, aptly named Pasta where I found this recipe for Fettuccine with Mascarpone, Ricotta and Fresh Herbs.  I immediately thought that the creamy herbs in the pasta would play well with the minerality of the Gavi.

However, the pairing suggested in the cookbook was for a young light red, preferably a Chianti.  That's no problem because I love Chianti and always have some on hand.  I decided to pull out a bottle of  Collezione di Paolo Chianti and try that with the pasta as well and see which we preferred.

This wine made with Sangiovese grapes is medium-bodied and smooth with flavors of berries and some tartness reminiscent of cranberries.  It is wonderful paired with food and also enjoyed by itself.

What I learned from this little experiment was that both the wines were okay with the pasta but I think a buttery chardonnay would have paired much better than either of them.  I preferred the Gavi and Frank preferred the Chianti with this dish, but he agreed it wasn't a pairing that he would seek out.

That being said, the dish was very successful though more suited for summertime and warmer weather in my opinion.  The Gavi was as delicious as I remembered and also made me wish for warmer weather.  The Chianti was wonderful and I enjoyed a glass after dinner while I read my novel.  

All of this to discover what we really already knew.  Pairings are all about the palate.  What I find amazing you might find meh.  And what you rave about might only be so-so for me.  When I entertain I try to have a bottle of red, a bottle of white, and a sweeter wine, so that all palates can be satisfied.  Eat what you like, drink what you like, and enjoy life.

We will be talking more about the native/indigenous grapes of Italy in a Threads Chat on Saturday morning at 11 AM ET.  You will find us by searching #ItalianFWT.  Here are some of the topics we will be discussing.........

• An Umbrian Grape with Greek Origins: Cantina Roccafiore Grechetto di Todi Fiordalis + Pesce alla Ghiotta by Culinary Cam
• BI.VI.SI.: Revitalizing Sicily’s native, ancient vines for forgotten flavors like Frappato by Wine Predator...Gwendolyn Alley
• Brachetto: A Piemontese Grape Meant for Food! by Keep the Peas
• Castello di Grumello Medera & Casconcelli by The Quirky Cork
• Ciliegiolo, Great Wines for Spring by Avvinare
• Durella - Native vine of the Lessini Mountains that Sparkles by Crushed Grape Chronicles
• Pasta, Wine, and a Cookbook Review by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Pizza Wine! Fresh, Fruity, and Made from Native Italian Grapes by My Full Wine Glass
• Sicilian Wine Grapes: Grillo and Frappato by Cooking Chat
• Sicily's Zibibbo Grape with Fish Cakes by Vino Travels
• Unlock the Beauty of Mexican Wines: The Fusion of Italian Indigenous Grapes by Our Good Life

Pasta, Meatless, Cheese, Herbs

Entrees, Pasta

Italian

Yield: 2

Author: Wendy Klik

Fettuccine with Creamy Herb Sauce

Fettuccine Noodles tossed in a creamy sauce of Mascarpone, Ricotta, and fresh herbs.

Prep time: 3 MinCook time: 12 MinTotal time: 15 Min

Ingredients

• 1/3 lb. fettuccine noodles, fresh or dried
• 1/4 c. Mascarpone cheese
• 1/4 c. Ricotta cheese
• 1 scallion, white and light green sections, thinly sliced
• 1/2 T. chopped parsley leaves
• leaves of 2 sprigs thyme
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Whisk together the Mascarpone, Ricotta, scallion, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until done to your desired tenderness. Drain and then return to the hot pot.
3. Stir in the cheese mixture until melted and smooth and the pasta is coated. Serve immediately.

Notes

Adapted from a recipe found in Pasta by Food & Wine

Nutrition Facts

Calories

473.57

Fat (grams)

20.05 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

11.34 g

Carbs (grams)

56.01 g

Fiber (grams)

2.75 g

Net carbs

53.25 g

Sugar (grams)

1.65 g

Protein (grams)

16.34 g

Sodium (milligrams)

155.82 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

107.44 mg

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