What's for Dinner? Tortellini with Peas and Prosciutto
What’s for Dinner Wednesday
Like many Wednesday Dinners, this one started with something at the grocery store catching my eye. This time it was fresh tortellini at Mazzaro’s in St. Pete and helped along by browsing their selection of dried Italian meats. Pair that with some Chianti or Barbera and it looks like a special dinner worthy of Wednesday.
How to make Tortellini with Peas and Prosciutto
This recipe is almost too simple - what makes it special is the ingredients. Start with this simple Tortellini with Peas and Prosciutto Recipe from Food Network as your base but make a trip to one of our local Italian markets for the ingredients. We just happened to be at Mazzaro’s so we picked up some of their house tortellini, a wedge of aged Parmesan cheese, some Italian Parsley, and then hit the prosciutto selection.
Prosciutto is an uncooked, unsmoked, dry-aged ham and comes in several price points based on where it is from, aged, and quality. You can always ask for a taste, but I tend to pick up some “economical” prosciutto for cooking and some Prosciutto di Parma for an antipasto plate. Grab some aged Italian cheese and olives to make yourself a platter to nibble as a first course while you cook. If you are vegetarian, there are some good vegetarian bacon options that will give you a close profile.
What pairs with Tortellini with Peas and Prosciutto?
This dish has several overlapping flavors - acid from tomatoes, salty-nutty-funk from the prosciutto, and richness from the cream and cheese. Of course, Italian wines are going to be a hit, especially some lighter bodied Chianti and Barbera. While Pinot Grigio would be a pretty classic antipasto pairing, I like looking at some out of the way grapes like Pecorino from Abruzzo or Vermentino from Tuscany.
What wines should I get?
I am going to start with antipasto of cheese, Proscuitto di Parma and a bottle of Riva de la Rosa Vermentino 2022. This Tuscan Vermentino has hints of peach and pear, with a smooth, mineral finish. A richer option is Contesa Pecorino Blanco DOC 2022. This Pecorino grape from Abruzzo has a ripe honeyed nose with aromas of white peach and citrus fruits, and gently nutty, savory notes.
Moving to reds, I am going to splurge for this 95pt pre-phylloxera Barbera, Elvio Cogno Pre-Phylloxera Barbera d'Alba 2020. 100% Vitis Vinefera vines are more and more rare, so I always take the chance to enjoy these wines. This one has spices on first impression and raspberry, strawberry and ripe cherry notes in background and is versatile enough to go with everything on the menu. For a Chianti option, I am sticking with younger classico like Isole e Olena Chianti Classico 2020 - 93 pts, lots of fruit flavors and stoney minerality. If you must have something more intense, this super-Tuscan Ruffino Modus 2019 blends Sangiovese, Cab and Merlot for a 94 pt showing. This one might start to overwhelm the flavors of the dish, but you could offset this by adding some butter to the sauce.
Get 15% Off
Spend more than $75 on any assortment of these bottles online and use code DINNER in check out and get 15% off. You can order now for in-store pickup and pick up any time - don’t miss the deal! Or stop by the store and buy any 3 bottles of these wines and get 15% off. Deal good until Saturday Mar 23.
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