This is a great meal for a cold, gray winter evening. Rich, creamy pasta made in the manner of risotto is both tasty and comforting. The wine adds refreshing notes and complexity to create an all together satisfying combination that is easy to prepare and easy on the pocketbook.
The stirred main dish is made in layers with small cut pasta, rich chicken broth, olive oil braised tomatoes and bits of tender organic chicken. The combination is finished with a tangy bit of mild goat cheese and salty warm Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. The results are surprisingly creamy and full with bright accents from the tomato and goat cheese. This easy to prepare dish requires minimum ingredients and can easily be extended to feed four.
The wine selected for the meal is a beautiful blend of Viognier and Marsanne from the Adelaide region of Australia. A full bodied combination that couples the interest of light apricot and peach with a soft minerality that has unexpected herbal notes. The wine finishes with the right amount of acidity and a lingering memory of fruit and herb. It is well balanced with the right amount of complexity to match the intense richness of the pasta. This delicious wine provides just the right refreshing contrast to the food that keeps its creaminess from overpowering the palate.
JJ gave the wine a slightly lower score on it's own as he felt it lacked somewhat in the fruit department. However, like me, he found it to be a good partner with the food. Personally, I found both the wine and the food to be a winner, start to finish
