Dreaming of Fall in Piedmont and the Weekly Menu #ItalianFWT

We are celebrating Fall in Italy this month, and I have chosen to focus on Piedmont, Northern Italy, with a Ragu di Salsiccia and a bottle of Barbera d'Alba Superiore from Josetta Saffirio.

I have such fond memories of our trip to Italy last fall.  We traveled from Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast to Rome and then through the Umbrian Tuscan countryside, ending in Florence.  It was so amazing that I have been dreaming of flying back to Florence and then heading north through Bologna, Venice, Milan, and into Piedmont, which inspired this dinner and this post.

Piedmont is a premier wine region popular for Nebbiolo, Barolo, Barbaresco, and Barbera red wines and Cortese and Arneis white wines.  I have shared pairings with these wines in previous posts: a Wine Glazed Pork Loin with a Nebbiolo, Linguine with Clam Sauce paired beautifully with the Arneis, and a Beef and Mushroom Pie, wonderful with a Barolo; a Barbaresco paired with Roast Chicken is pure comfort, and Brunello was perfect with my Venison Meatball Stew.

With fall approaching, I asked the administrator of our Italian Food, Wine, and Travel group,  Jennifer of Vino Travels, if I could host our group this month and invited the others to Celebrate Fall in Italy along with me. 

Let's see where their travels took them.......

• Our Good Life: Apple Picking in Italy: An Easy Fall Apple Cake Recipe  
• Vino Travels: Lake Garda in a Glass: Zeni's Bardolino and a Chicken Sausage Pasta 
• Wineivore: Coda di Volpe Paired with Chicken Under a Brick
• Day in the Life on the Farm: Dreaming of Fall in Piedmont 
• Culinary Cam: Embracing Autumn: A Mediterranean Noir, Spaghetti all'Assassina, and Two Bottles of Negroamaro 

I had no information on this wine when I purchased it, other than what the bottle says.  I wasn't familiar with the winery, but I knew I wanted a Barbera to pair with the Orecchiette in Ragu di Salsiccia I was serving for dinner.

After I got home from the market with this wine, I learned from the Josetta Saffirio website that this winery has roots dating back to the 1800s, when Giovanni Battista settled in the hills of Piemonte and started growing grapes to make wine.  Ernesto was born in 1910 and passed his love of the land and passion for winemaking to his daughter, Josetta.  

This wine is 100% Barbera, grown in the d'Alba region of Piedmont in clay-and-sand soil rich in minerals.

It is smooth as silk.  I poured a glass while preparing dinner, as is my custom, taking my first sip without food.  It was lovely, and I knew it would be a very nice pairing.  

I know it is mid-September, but Fall hasn't arrived here in Michigan yet.  We are having one last hurrah as the grandkids and their parents enjoy one last pool party and BBQ dinner tonight.  Larry and Mary arrive in Michigan on Sunday.  They are starting out in Grand Haven at Mary's sister Sue's. 

My nephew and Godson, Ryan, is getting married on the 19th.  This is also my brother Larry's and our Angel Face's birthday.  I'm not sure when Larry and Mary will make it to our house, but I do know that they plan to attend dinner to celebrate the Angel Face turning 12 on the 18th.   We are going to a sushi restaurant with a conveyor belt where they serve your food.  

On Thursday, we are attending the rehearsal dinner, as Frank has been asked to officiate the ceremony.  I am sharing the Weekly Menu, written for an unknown number of people each day...

Saturday-Family BBQ

Rotisserie Chicken

BBQ Ribs

Coleslaw

Mac and Cheese

Corn on the Cob

Sunday Supper

Chicken and Dumplings (using carcasses from Saturday)

Meatless Monday

Creamy Tuscan Ravioli Soup

Taco Tuesday

Chicken Enchiladas (remaining leftover chicken)

Wok Wednesday

Pork Chop Suey

Steamed Rice

Thursday

Rehearsal Dinner

Friday

Mel's Birthday Dinner

Pasta, Sauce, Ragu, Sausage, Pork,

Entrees, Pasta

Italian

Yield: 6-8 servings

Author: Wendy Klik

Ragu di Salsiccia

This sausage ragu is light and delicious. Traditionally served with Tajarin, a pasta rich in egg yolks, you can use this ragu with any pasta you like. I used orrechiette that was perfect for holding the delicious sauce.

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 3 HourTotal time: 3 H & 10 M

Ingredients

• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 lb. sweet Italian Sausage (bulk or casings removed)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, trimmed and chopped
• 2 carrots, scraped and chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/3 c. dry white wine
• 1 3/4 c. water
• 1 c. passata
• 1 T. dried Italian Herbs
• 1 lb pasta, cooked to desired level of tenderness.

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring and breaking it into crumbles, until browned, about 5 minutes.
2. Place the onion, carrots, and celery into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add to the Dutch oven, season with salt and pepper, and cook until fragrant and the vegetables soften.
3. Add the wine, and cook, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan, until the wine has evaporated.
4. Stir in the water, passata, and dried herbs. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.
5. Serve over pasta of your choosing.

Notes

Adapted from a recipe found in Food and Wine.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

446

Fat (grams)

27 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

9 g

Carbs (grams)

32 g

Fiber (grams)

4 g

Net carbs

29 g

Sugar (grams)

4 g

Protein (grams)

16 g

Sodium (milligrams)

632 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

57 mg

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Pasta with Pork Braised in Red Wine

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