Imagine sitting to the table surrounded by plates of hot sausage, steaming penne and endless opportunities to refill your glass with the Pinot Grigio that compliments it all perfectly!

Imagine knowing that you’ve taken wonderful ingredients and brought them together in a truly unique way AND that then you’ve brought the entire meal to another level entirely by pairing that recipe with a wine that brings out every nuance of it! (Which our Pinot Grigio seems to do time and time again.)

Here is a food and wine matching that we KNOW you will love. But it won’t make itself…that’s where you come in…

PENNE WITH SPICEY SAUSAGE
PAIRS WELL WITH
SANTA MARGHERITA PINOT GRIGIO

1lb. penne
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 small clove garlic, thinly sliced
½ lb. fresh spicy Italian sausage, cut into small chunks
4 large, ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, roughly chopped
1 cup red wine
1 bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped to yield 1/4 cup
Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
Salt

Heat 2 gallons of water to a rolling boil and add 2 tablespoons salt.
In 12-inch saucepan, heat oil. Add onion and garlic, cook until light golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Add sausage and cook until golden brown, and season to taste. Add tomatoes with their juices and wine, and season.

Cover, and let cook over medium heat until the tomatoes soften and exude more juices, about 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cook penne until tender but still al dente, about 10-11 minutes. Drain well, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Add penne to sausage mixture and toss over high heat until well combined. Add some pasta cooking water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if the pasta is too dry. Sprinkle with parsley and Parmigiano. Serve immediately in warmed pasta bowls with extra Parmigiano on the side.

This pasta dish pairs beautifully with SANTA MARGHERITA PINOT GRIGIO. The light, crisp and refreshing flavors of this wine provide the perfect contrast to the spicy sausage in the pasta dish.

Recipe courtesy of Bon Appétit Chef de Cuisine Jonathan Lindenauer
©2008 Condé Nast Publications

Suggested wine pairing: Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio.

PS. Be on the lookout for the June Issue of Food and Wine. There’s a great feature in there about the upcoming World Cup. And wouldn’t you know it… Santa Margherita, representing the Italian team, is recommended for World Cup party celebrations!!! In fact the article recommends Santa Margherita Prosecco as the right way to celebrate the event!

Here is a pairing that we simply adore! Ribeye steak with our famous Santa Margherita Chianti Classico. How the wine brings out the flavor in the meat is where we find our passion.

How life gets moved to a higher level because of it…we’ll that’s just what happens.

Do NOT simply read this. Take it and embrace it and create it. And open a bottle and savor it!

There are food and wine pairings…and then there is this!

Best!

RIBEYE STEAK
PAIRS WELL WITH
SANTA MARGHERITA CHIANTI CLASSICO

3 Tbsp. sugar
1½ Tbsp. kosher salt
9 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
½ cup dried Porcini mushrooms ground to a fine powder in a blender
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 20-ounce USDA Prime, dry-aged Rib-eye steaks, cut 2 inches thick
Balsamic vinegar for drizzling
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

In small bowl, combine the sugar, salt, garlic, red pepper flakes, rosemary, pepper, mushroom powder and olive oil and stir well to form a thick, fairly dry paste. Rub the paste all over the steaks, coat­ing them evenly, and refrigerate, wrapped in plastic, for 12 hours or overnight.

Preheat the grill. Remove steaks from refrigerator and brush off excess marinade with a paper towel. Let sit for 20 minutes so they come to room temperature. Cook on the hottest part of the grill for 20 minutes, turning every 6 to 7 minutes, or to an internal tem­perature of 125°F for medium rare. Allow the steaks to rest for 15 minutes, then slice against the grain. Drizzle with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and serve immediately.

This recipe pairs beautifully with Chianti Classico. The acidity and tannins in the wine are a pleasant complement to the richness of the rib-eye cut.

Recipe courtesy of Bon Appétit Chef de Cuisine Jonathan Lindenauer
©2008 Condé Nast Publications

Suggested wine pairing: Santa Margherita Chianti.

Don’t forget that there are still two weeks left to enter The Great Taste Challenge to show off how you pair wines and foods best. Show the world what your kitchen brings out in you!