There is perhaps no nation more romanticized for its cuisine than Italy. More specifically, Italian pasta. And what’s a plate of pasta without a stellar glass of Italian wine to go with it?
Italy is broken into 20 distinct regions, each of which has a rich tradition of making special pasta dishes that incorporate local ingredients and techniques, resulting in unique flavors that might not be found elsewhere in the country. Take Calabria’s pasta alla Silana as an example. The hearty, southern Italian dish traditionally features a sauce made from tomatoes, cured meats, mushrooms, onions, and Calabrian chili peppers, which provide it with its signature heat.
It’s a spicy dish that differs entirely from the German-influenced cjarsons of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. By contrast, the northern Italian stuffed pasta dish has a mixture of sweet and savory ingredients like potatoes, raisins, ricotta, herbs, cinnamon, and more. And both pasta alla Silana and cjarsons lack any pesto, which is the star component of Liguria’s nutty and herbaceous trofie al pesto.
Each region is also home to a number of wine varieties that make for each pasta’s perfect pairing — though they don’t always need to be enjoyed in tandem. For example, the lighter, slightly sweet cjarsons are perfect alongside a crisp glass of Friulano or Ribolla Gialla, two grapes native to the region that produce aromatic and textural white wines. On the other hand, the chili-laden pasta alla Silana would likely pair better with a glass of full-bodied Aglianico, while the flavors of trofie al pesto are best emphasized with a glass of Vermentino, referred to as Pigato throughout Liguria.
Here, we identified each Italian region’s most famous pasta dish, along with the most important red and white wine grapes cultivated in each. It’s worth noting that this is not an exhaustive list, as several regions are home to numerous pasta dishes, like Lazio, where the capital city Rome is located. Rome is famously the birthplace of not just cacio e pepe, but also pasta alla gricia, carbonara, and amatriciana, though for the purposes of this map, only cacio e pepe was selected.
Curious to see which pastas and wines are native to each Italian region? Check out our map of Italy’s regional wines and pasta dishes below!
*Image retrieved from FornStudio via stock.adobe.com
