Maltagliati e Trotte + Cascina del Pozzo Roero Arneis for #WinePW

Wine Pairing Weekend - #winePW - happens on the second Saturday of the month. And this month we are all pairing food with Arneis. Haven't heard of that varietal? I hadn't. Click to read what Valerie, of Girls Gotta Drink and this month's host, had to say in her challenge invitation: here.

So, in the spirit of #SummerofArneis, Arneis was the center of my menu for our first Al Fresco Friday dinner. Summer vacation is upon us.

We'll be talking about Arneis and summer wine pairings later today during our Twitter chat at 11:00 ET. Join in the conversation by following the hashtag #WinePW. Let's start with what everyone else brought to the table...

All the Summer Arneis Food Pairing Recipes!

• Esplorando Arneis con #WinePW, Dracaena Wines
• A Summer Arneis Food Pairing: BBQ Chicken in a Citrus Butter Curry Sauce, GirlsGottaDrink
• Spaghetti alla Carbonara for #SummerOfArneis #WinePW, Curious Cuisiniere
• Kale Pesto Tortellini Paired with Arneis, Cooking Chat
• Shrimp and Fennel Risotto with Arneis, FoodWineClick
• Arneis through the Eyes of Malvira, Vino Travels
• Heritage Grain Risotto with Roero Arneis, Wine Pass
• Damilano Langhe Arneis Paired with Dungeness Crab and Pea Purée Crostini, Pull That Cork
• Maltagliati con Sugo dei Porri e Trotte alla Salvia, Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Italian Arneis Wine for #WinePW (yum - linguini and clam sauce!), A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Summer of Arneis on #WinePW, Rockin Red Blog
• Shrimp and Cheese Grits with Vietti Arneis, Enofylz Wine Blog
• Shrimp, Fennel, Fava Bean Pasta with Vietti Arneis, Tasting Pour

In My Glass

I tracked down a 2012 Cascina del Pozzo Roero Arneis as soon as I heard what our assignment was this month.

As I said, I'd never heard of the varietal, much less tried it.

I was pleasantly surprised by the weight of this wine. It was so pale in hue, I was expecting a lighter, more astringent sip. But this wine was medium-bodied, floral, vibrant and expressive. 

I found it the perfect match for a homemade pasta and a whole roasted fish.

In the Middle of the Plate... 

The Enthusiastic Kitchen Elf helped me with the entire dinner. First up was our maltagliati con sugo dei porri. Maltagliati means, literally, badly cut. It's a hand-rolled, hand-cut pasta and is perfect for a Friday evening when you don't feel like pulling out the pasta machine. It's quick and purposefully imprecise. I love it!

Maltagliati con Sugo dei Porri

Ingredients per batch (we made two batches)
Pasta

• 1 cup semolina wheat flour
• 1 egg
• water, as needed
• fresh chopped herbs (we used thyme, oregano, and mint from D's garden)

Sauce

• 2 leeks, trimmed and thinly sliced
• olive oil
• 3/4 cup milk
• juice from 1 organic lemon
• zest from 1 organic lemon
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan
• fresh chopped herbs

Procedure

Pasta
Place the flour in a heap on a piece of wax paper. Create a deep well in the middle of the flour and crack the egg into this well.

Whisk the egg into the flour with the fork. Add water one tablespoon at a time. Once the dough comes together in a ball, begin gently folding the dough on itself, flattening, and folding again. We added the herbs at this stage.  Once it's firm enough to knead, knead the dough, incorporating more flour, as needed, to prevent the dough from sticking to your workspace.

Once you have a ball of dough, use a rolling pin to flatten it out. Then slice the pasta into irregular shapes. Set aside, on a parchment paper dusted with semolina, until you're ready to cook.

To cook: Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Drop the freshly made pasta in and wait for it to rise to the surface. Once it rises, boil for another minute before draining and tossing with your sauce.

Sauce
Cook leeks in a splash of olive oil until they are softened and beginning to turn translucent. Pour in the milk and simmer until thickened. Stir in the cheese to form a thicker sauce. Add in the lemon juice and lemon zest. Finally add the herbs before serving.

The second dish D and I made is an easy oven-roasted fish dish. I thought sage would pair nicely with the Arneis. I was right!

Trotte alla Salvia

Ingredients serves 4

• 4 butterflied trout
• leek, trimmed and cut into thin strips about 3" long
• organic lemon, thinly sliced
• fresh sage leaves
• fresh chopped herbs (I used oregano, thyme, and mint)
• spices (D crushed a bunch of different herbs and spices in a mortar. I didn't see what he used!)
• olive oil
• Need: toothpicks or twine to close the fish
• shaved fennel for serving
• fennel fronds for serving
• orange wedges for serving

Procedure
Lay your fish on a parchment paper and preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the leeks, lemon slices, and roughly chopped sage leave inside the cavity.

Sprinkle your spices inside, then secure the fish closed with a tooth pick or with twice. We couldn't find our kitchen twine tonight.

Lay your fish on a parchment-lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes - until the flesh is opaque and the skin is browned and crisped. Serve immediately, garnished with shaved fennel, fennel fronds, and a squeeze of orange drizzled over the top.

What a glorious way to start the weekend. I love summer vacation. We have less structure and more time to play in the kitchen. And I really adore eating outside in the fresh, warm air. Cin cin.

 Wine Pairing Weekend July: Join us next month!

In July Americans celebrate Independence Day and the French celebrate Bastille Day. July's Wine Pairing Weekend will take place on Saturday, July 11, led by Michelle Williams of Rockin Red Blog. The group will explore food and wine pairings from the United States and France. From Michelle: Get creative and make your favorite all American food and wine meal, your favorite all French food and wine meal, one of each or a combination of both! With these two regions the sky is the limit!