Top pairings | Wines to match different pasta sauces

Top pairings

Wines to match different pasta sauces

What wine should you pair with your favourite pasta?

As you might guess it depends on the sauce rather than the pasta shape. From rich and meaty ragùs to zesty herby pesto, each sauce has its own unique character that suggests a different wine pairing. That said I like to pair Italian wine with pasta wherever possible as it suits it so well and isn’t too full-bodied or alcoholic.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the best wine pairings for six popular styles of pasta sauce, from the classic tomato-based marinara to creamy Alfredo and beyond. Each sauce calls for a different approach: think crisp whites to cut through the richness of a carbonara, or a bold red to stand up to a hearty Bolognese. 

What Wine to Match with Different Pasta Sauces

Creamy pasta sauces

To offset creamy sauces (eg carbonara or fettucine alfredo) think Soave, Bianco di Custoza, Pinot Bianco, Sicilian whites and lighter Chardonnay or Chardonnay blends.

To gain full access to this article and other premium content you need to purchase a bundle of credits which you can do as a one-off purchase or - and this is better value if you consult the site regularly - on an ongoing subscription basis. (1 credit = 1 article)

To buy credits you need to register an account, which which is easy to do here. Or just sign in to your account if you already have one.

If you’d like be able to check out all the food and wine pairings on the site you can buy a bundle of credits here to access my premium content.

And/or for regular updates on what and where I’ve been eating, drinking and travelling sign up for my weekly newsletter Eat This, Drink That, Live Well.

You may also enjoy …

Comments: 4 (Add)

Fiona Beckett on December 31 2024 at 10:03

Sorry you had that problem, Paul. Sometimes categorization can be tricky There is a post on peppers which includes pasta with red pepper sauce but as you didn't find the answer you were looking for first time round I'm posting the information below. (Sorry, the links don't come through but this is the link for the BBC recipe https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/roasted-pepper-sauce-pasta-or-chicken)

Do bear in mind that you can always contact me to ask me for a suggestion if you can't find the answer on the site (which, hopefully, most times you will!)

Grilled and roasted peppers

Much richer and sweeter than raw peppers. They could also be accompanied by other big flavours such as garlic and anchovies as in the classic Piedmontese peppers or this roasted red pepper and anchovy salad from chef José Pizarro. I’d be inclined to go for a young rioja or mencia or a juicy young grenache but a robust Spanish rosado would also work. If you’re drinking white wine I’d choose something with a bit of weight like a New Zealand sauvignon blanc or Rueda.

Stuffed peppers

Yes, the pepper element is important but it also depends on the stuffing. If it’s some kind of meat I’d go for a medium-bodied Italian red, a young rioja. zinfandel or a Côtes du Roussillon. Or a merlot. If you stuff them with grains like quinoa or fish as in this stuffed peppers with brandade (salt cod) which worked brilliantly well with a hunter valley sémillon, you might be more inclined to drink a crisp fruity white.

Red pepper soup

More likely to be red pepper and tomato soup like this one - it might even have a bit of a spicy kick. Dry whites normally pair well with soup so I’d probably go for something like a picpoul or an albarino but the other suggestions I’ve made for roast red peppers should work too.

Pasta with red pepper sauce

Similar ingredients and flavours to the above (as in this BBC Good Food recipe) but because it’s pasta you might feel inclined to go for a red - pretty well anything Italian and inexpensive (so not top Chianti or amarone) like a Montepulciano d'Abruzzo would work

Paul Habershon on December 30 2024 at 18:49

Just bought a bundle of credits and now wasted one as you don’t cover a red pepper sauce for pasta. Very annoying!
So how can I avoid wasting credits when I am looking for info that you don’t appear to cover? But I don’t know that until I have spent one unnecessarily!
Don’t get me wrong - your site is brilliant so I am not surprised you are looking to earn revenue from it! But the approach doesn’t necessarily work in practice!

Nick Brett on March 11 2021 at 17:31

Thank you, this is very helpful. As always!
Pasta with the right wine is a wonderful thing.

Cam on July 22 2020 at 20:28

Couldn’t be bothered to proof read, eh?

Recent posts …

About FionaAbout FionaAbout Matching Food & WineAbout Matching Food & WineWork with meWork with me
Loading