Monday, February 16, 2009

Pair Red Wine With Pasta







The rich, robust flavors of red wine make it a great accompaniment to many different kinds of meals. With a wide variety of vintages from merlot to shiraz, the right red wine can be the perfect finishing touch to a pasta dish.


Instructions


1. Use red wine to tame spicy pasta dishes. The tannins in red wine work well to help lessen the intensity of hot spices in between bites. Serve red wine with pasta dishes containing hot peppers or that are especially spicy.








2. Pair red wine with red sauces. Red wine accompanies just about all red sauces and sauces that are tomato-based. The robustness of the red wine cuts the acidity of the tomatoes in the dish and the flavors contrast each other well. Pair pasta dishes with red sauces like marinara with a deep chianti or a cabernet.


3. Serve red wine with red meat. The basic rule of thumb when it comes to wine is to always serve red wine with red meat like beef and lamb. This rule is an old one, so serve red wine with any pasta dishes containing beef, lamb or sausage. The right red wine for your meat dish varies, but shiraz and cabernet usually pairs well with red meat.


4. Explore red wines from around the world. Spaghetti and manicotti don't necessarily have to be served with Italian red wine just because they are Italian dishes. Experiment with some of the great red wines from Australia and France and find your own favorite red wine to accompany all of your pasta dishes.

Tags: pasta dishes, wine with, with meat, beef lamb, dishes containing, pasta dishes containing, right wine