Wine pairings for Fusilli con Peperoni e Ricotta
Bianco: Villa Russiz Sauvignon de la Tour, Tenuta Ca’ Bolani Sauvignon Aquilis
Rosso: Giuseppe Mascarello Freisa Toetto, Azienda Agricola 499
Red peppers have a distinct sweetness. However, assuming you want a dry wine, you’ll need to pair them with wines that have generous fruitiness.
For a white wine, try a Sauvignon Blanc. Sauvignon Blanc can be lean and bitingly crisp or it can verge on tropical. You’ll want to go for the latter style in order to get the fruit-driven character to match with the peppers. These will tend to be fuller-bodied wines with 13-14% abv. Sauvignon Blancs at the lower end of that range sometimes also have a pepper spice note (that tends to go away at higher alcohol levels) that will fit this pasta nicely.
In the red wine category, Freisa is a great variety to go with. It tastes of bright red fruits like strawberries and cherries, which align well with the peppers. It is also mid-weight, which matches this lighter pasta well. Freisa is easy on the tannins, which is just what you need for this vegetarian pasta. If it’s warm outside when you’re enjoying this pasta, don’t hesitate to chill your red a bit to emphasize its refreshment!
Check out our recipe for Fusilli con Peperoni e Ricotta.
Cin cin!
Christy Canterbury
Master of Wine (MW)
Wine Editor
@canterburywine
