I love Italian food. I love spicy food. Like, nose-running-and-about-to-cry spicy. So, it’s no surprise that I’m often drawn to Italian dishes with a kick – spaghetti all’Assassina, penne arrabbiata, anything with spicy Italian sausage…I’m drooling.
Recently, I made this Pasta With Spicy ‘Nduja Tomato Sauce (pictured above) after I picked up some ‘nduja from Journeyman Meat Co during a trip to Healdsburg, California. If you’re new to ‘nduja, it’s basically a spreadable pork salumi from the Calabria region of Italy. You can simply spread it on bread, or you can melt it into some tomato puree for an incredibly easy, just-rich-enough pasta sauce. A few shavings of pecorino on top, and you’ve got a weeknight masterpiece.
While the dish itself was easy to make, finding a good wine pairing was trickier. I needed something that could match the acidity of the tomato and stand up to the spiciness of the ‘nduja.
Wine Pairing Option: Lambrusco
My mind immediately went to Lambrusco, a food- and wallet-friendly sparkling red wine from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. You can find dry (not sweet at all), off-dry (slightly sweet), or almost juice-like Lambrusco. I’m a fan of the drier styles, especially when it comes to food pairings. You’ll still be able to smell and taste the fresh fruit notes that make Lambrusco so juicy and yummy – depending on the bottle you get, it might be blackberries or plums or cherries or something completely different! – but it won’t taste sugary.
Your neighborhood wine shop will likely have a bottle or two of Lambrusco, but you can always order some bottles online, like this bottle from Lini 910 or this bottle from Fattoria Moretto. If you do want something off-dry, give this one from Cleto Chiarli a try.
Wine Pairing Option: A Juicy Red Wine
If you can’t find Lambrusco or just aren’t in the mood for sparkling, try a fruit-forward, young red wine that’s low in tannins, like Barbera. Barbera is the name of the grape, and the best wines made from Barbera are produced in Piedmont, Italy. You’ve likely heard of Barolo and Barbaresco, right? These are the wines that most often come to mind when people think of Piedmont. Barbera, however, is much more affordable and makes for a great casual option. Try this Barbera d’Asti from Wine.com for $30 or this one for just under $20!
Another great wine pairing option for a spicy pasta dish is a chilled red wine. Fun, juicy, and a little too easy to drink – what’s not to love? Natural wines seem to be popping up everywhere these days, so it should be pretty easy to find some chilled reds near you. (Hint: check Whole Foods.) If you’re around Los Angeles, these are some of my favorite places to pick up and/or drink natural wine:
With the weather in L.A. soaring over 100 degrees this week, a glass of chilled red or Lambrusco sounds amazing. I’ll be popping out to grab a few bottles, and I hope you will, too!
What are your favorite wine pairings for pasta dishes with a spicy tomato-based sauce?
Casual Pairings 
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