I have to confess that winter is my favorite food time of the year. Not only do I get to indulge in our family’s traditional holiday dishes, but I also revisit all the hearty, stick-to-your-ribs pastas on the Pastini menu. Five Cheese Lasagna, check. Tortellini Gorgonzola, check. Spaghetti Carbonara, checkity-check.

There’s something so satisfying about a piping hot pasta, full of savory goodness, when it’s cold outside.

Pastini’s Mac ‘n Cheese, with its aged white cheddar-Oakshire Amber Ale sauce is always perfect (and a bottle of Oakshire Ale is great with it!). Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage is another go-to winter pasta for me, as is Fusilli alla Roma, with its rich, creamy parmesan sauce that complements roasted chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, organic mushrooms and roasted garlic. So good.

And I really enjoy drinking big, bold red wines this time of year too, that pair beautifully with these hearty pastas. Wines like Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico from Tuscany, and our seasonal wine special, Powers Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington’s Columbia Valley.  Try this luscious Cab or the Badia with our winter pasta special Ravioli Rustici, or any of these great winter dishes. I think you’ll love them!

Buon appetito,

Susie Bashel