Sunday Supper: Food and Wine Pairing of the Week

Caprese Pasta paired to Barrel Fermented Sauvignon Blanc

We’re at the cottage right now. You’ve probably seen that on our Instagram.

Yes, we are taking it easy, soaking up the sun and enjoying the last few weeks of summer (but seriously, doesn’t it feel like it just began?)

This take on Caprese pasta is summer in a bowl: buffalo mozzarella, fresh basil and sundried tomatoes mixed with pasta for a bright and easy lunch that can be served warm or cold (hello picnics on the beach!)

And in keeping with how we roll around here, the hardest part about this pasta is snipping the fresh basil from your garden.

Caprese Pasta

serves 6

OK, so technically you should use fresh tomatoes in this recipe. But here’s Erin’s dirty little secret: she doesn’t like fresh tomatoes (gasp!) so sundried it is. Feel free to use the fresh ones, but the sundried offer a nice salty-sweet bite, too.

What you need:

• 1 box of orecchiette (or what pasta you prefer)
• 10-12 meaty sundried tomatoes in oil, sliced
• Leaves from a small bunch of fresh basil, chiffonade
• 6 small balls buffalo mozzarella, sliced
• 3 Tbsp oil from sundried tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tsp. red chili pepper flakes (optional)

How You Do It:

1. Put on a large pot of water to boil for the pasta
2. Mix the cheese, tomatoes and basil in a large bowl. Pour in the oil and vinegar and gently stir to combine. Set aside.
3. When the water is boiling add in a generous amount of salt and add the pasta, cooking to the directions.
4. When the pasta has finished cooking, drain and add the hot pasta to the bowl gently stirring to combine. Season to taste for salt and pepper and serve family style.

The Wine Sisters’ Wine Pairing

Inniskillin “Discovery Series” Barrel Fermented Sauvignon Blanc, VQA Niagara Peninsula, ON 2014
$22.95 inniskillin.com
Aromas and flavours of ripe peach, green apple and a touch of mineral. The barrel ferment adds weight and rounds out the naturally sharper edges of sauv blanc. There’s still that zippy acidity and refreshing lime zest note, but the oak influence give a bit of creaminess to the texture and a touch of spice to the flavour. Very nice. 89 points.

How Did the Pairing Work?

Very well. The wine was picked because of sauvignon blanc’s herbaceous note which typically pairs well with herb laced foods like salads, and, in this case, the fresh basil. The creamy texture of the wine also complimented the weight of the cheese, and paired together, the wine increased in its stone fruit flavours for a pleasing juicy peach finish.