When brainstorming for a simple meal to pair with our Pinot Noir at ONEHOPE, I had one thing stuck in my mind and knew we had to make it work – pasta.  Pasta is so simple to make and can be manipulated to perfectly pair with any wine.  Whether you’re craving something creamy, acidic, cheesy, spicy – there’s a pasta for every desired taste profile.  Since mushrooms and goat cheese are both wonderful for a Pinot Noir, I searched the web for inspiration and landed on this.  Done and done!  A ribbon pasta just seemed more romantic (a la Lady and the Tramp) so I decided on Pappardelle in lieu of Ziti to keep with our Valentine’s Day theme and to also really soak up that goat cheese.  This savory, hearty pasta pairs wonderfully with ONEHOPE’s Edna Valley Pinot Noir. This wine is just acidic enough to cut through the rich goat cheese and is the perfect, full bodied and earthy compliment to portobello mushrooms and sweet, caramelized onions. YUM!

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound pappardelle pasta
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 onions (chopped)
• 1 pound portobello mushrooms (stems and gills removed, caps sliced in half and then crosswise into ~1/4″ slices)
• 4 ounces goat cheese (crumbled)
• 4 ounces freshly grated parmesan
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped)

Directions

1. In a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and stir occasionally for ~30-40 minutes or until onions are golden brown.
2. While onions are caramelizing, in a large pot, boil your pasta in salted water according pasta’s instructions.
3. Remove onions from pan and heat 1 tablespoon of butter with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add mushrooms and stir until soft and medium brown. In the same pan, add the onions, balsamic vinegar, pepper, half the parsley.
4. When pasta is fully cooked, drain and add remaining olive oil to the pot. Return cooked pasta to pot, add the onion and mushroom mixture, salt, water, 2/3 of the goat cheese and 2 ounces of grated parmesan. Toss while making sure to evenly coat pasta and meld flavors. Plate immediately.
5. Garnish each dish with remaining fresh, crumbled goat cheese, top with remaining parmesan and a sprinkle of parsley.
6. Pair with ONEHOPE’s Edna Valley Pinot Noir.  Cheers!

PS: Check out my other Valentine’s Day wine pairings here and here.