The best wine with carbonara is a crisp, dry Italian white, and the classic match is Frascati, the white wine of the hills just outside Rome, where carbonara comes from. Verdicchio, Vermentino and Soave are easy alternatives, a dry sparkling wine such as Franciacorta is excellent, and if you want red, pick a light, juicy one such as Dolcetto rather than anything big. For Alfredo, an unoaked or lightly oaked Chardonnay is the safest bet, and for pesto, Vermentino.
All three are rich pasta sauces, but they're rich in different ways, and that changes the bottle. Carbonara is salty, peppery and eggy, Alfredo is buttery and cheesy, and pesto is green and garlicky. Below we take each in turn, starting with carbonara, then cover the cream-based versions you're more likely to meet in an American kitchen or restaurant.
What wine should you drink with carbonara?
Frascati is the wine to drink with carbonara, with Verdicchio, Vermentino, Soave and Pinot Grigio as reliable substitutes. A traditional Roman carbonara is made from guanciale (cured pork cheek), egg yolks, Pecorino Romano and a lot of black pepper, and as GialloZafferano's traditional recipe shows, its creaminess comes from the yolks, the cheese and the guanciale fat rather than from cream. That makes it rich, salty and peppery, and it needs a wine with plenty of acidity to cut through the fat and refresh your mouth between forkfuls.
Frascati is the regional answer to the question. It takes its name from the town of Frascati, about 25 km southeast of Rome, and for generations it's been the everyday white poured in Roman trattorias. It's light, dry and gently nutty with a citrus edge, which is exactly what salty pork and sharp sheep's-milk cheese want alongside them. The principle of pairing a dish with wine from the same place works especially well here, because Roman food and Roman wine grew up together.
If you can't find Frascati, Verdicchio from the Marche has a little more body and a bitter-almond finish that suits Pecorino, while Vermentino brings herbs and a faint saltiness. Our list of the best white wines from Italy covers all of these. Avoid heavily oaked whites with carbonara, because oak and lots of black pepper can taste bitter together.
Is red or white wine better with carbonara?
White wine is better with carbonara for most people, but a light, low-tannin red such as Dolcetto works well if you'd rather drink red. Egg yolk is the tricky ingredient, since it coats the palate and can make tannic reds taste metallic or chalky, so a red for carbonara needs to be bright and soft rather than structured.
Dolcetto from Piedmont fits that brief, with dark cherry fruit, gentle tannin and enough freshness to cope with the fat. In Lazio, a young Cesanese is the local red option. What to skip is a big Cabernet or an oaky Zinfandel, which will fight the egg and the pepper and leave the dish tasting heavy.
Dry sparkling wine is the wild card that often beats both. A Franciacorta from Lombardy, a Prosecco Brut or a Crémant has bubbles and high acidity that scrub the richness off your palate between bites, and a salty, fatty pasta with a cold glass of bubbles is one of the great casual pleasures.
What wine goes with creamy carbonara made with cream?
An unoaked Chardonnay or a Soave is best with the cream-based carbonara common in American restaurants. Adding cream softens the salt and the pepper and makes the sauce rounder and heavier, so it can take a white with a little more body than the Roman original.
Bacon or pancetta instead of guanciale usually brings smoke, and smoke pairs nicely with a white that has a touch of richness. A lightly oaked Chardonnay works if the dish is very creamy, but keep the oak modest, since a buttery, toasty white on top of a cream sauce quickly becomes a lot. If your carbonara includes peas, mushrooms or chicken, the same choices still apply.
What wine goes with fettuccine Alfredo?
Unoaked or lightly oaked Chardonnay is the best wine for fettuccine Alfredo, with Pinot Grigio and Soave as lighter choices. Alfredo began in Rome as fettuccine tossed with butter and Parmesan, created by restaurateur Alfredo Di Lelio, and heavy cream is an American addition that made the sauce richer and thicker. Either way, it's mild, buttery and cheesy rather than salty and peppery like carbonara.
That mildness is why Chardonnay suits it. A Chardonnay with a little roundness echoes the butter, and its acidity keeps the sauce from feeling heavy. With chicken or shrimp added, the choice barely changes, because the sauce still dominates. Our fuller guide to what wine goes with pasta Alfredo takes the added-protein question head on, and if you're torn between the two most common whites, our comparison of Chardonnay vs Pinot Grigio explains which suits a creamy sauce better.
What wine goes with pesto pasta?
Vermentino is the best wine with pesto pasta, and Sauvignon Blanc is the easiest one to find. Pesto alla Genovese comes from Liguria, and so does a great deal of Vermentino, so the regional match is also the best flavor match: the wine's citrus, herb and faintly salty notes meet the basil, garlic and pine nuts directly.
Sauvignon Blanc works for similar reasons, since its grassy, green side mirrors the basil. A dry rosé is good when the pesto is heavy on garlic. Pesto is the creamy-textured sauce that reds handle worst, because basil and garlic can make tannin taste bitter, so if you must have red, choose a light Pinot Noir served cool.
| Pasta | Best wine | Also good | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carbonara (Roman, no cream) | Frascati | Verdicchio, Vermentino, Franciacorta, Dolcetto | Oaky whites, tannic reds |
| Carbonara with cream | Unoaked Chardonnay, Soave | Dry sparkling | Big Cabernet |
| Fettuccine Alfredo | Unoaked or lightly oaked Chardonnay | Pinot Grigio, Soave | Heavy reds |
| Pesto | Vermentino | Sauvignon Blanc, dry rosé | Most reds |
| Creamy mushroom | Pinot Noir | Lightly oaked Chardonnay | Sharp, green whites |
How do you choose wine for any creamy pasta?
Choose a wine with good acidity for any creamy pasta, because acidity is what cuts through cream, butter and cheese and keeps the dish from feeling heavy. It works the same way a squeeze of lemon does on a buttery sauce. Then adjust for the strongest flavor in the bowl, whether that's pepper, garlic, mushrooms or smoked meat.
Two quick adjustments cover most situations. When salt and pepper lead, as in carbonara or cacio e pepe, go crisper and leaner. When butter and cream lead, as in Alfredo, a white with a bit more body can match the texture. Mushrooms push you toward Pinot Noir, smoked meat toward a white with a touch of oak, and herbs and garlic toward Vermentino or Sauvignon Blanc. Our guide to wine with mushroom risotto covers the earthy, creamy side in more depth.
What should you order with creamy pasta at a restaurant?
Ask for "a crisp Italian white" and say which pasta you've ordered, and you'll get a good match on almost any list. If the restaurant is Roman or the menu says "carbonara alla romana," ask whether they pour Frascati by the glass, since many Italian restaurants keep it for exactly this dish.
By the glass, look for Frascati, Verdicchio, Vermentino, Soave or Pinot Grigio, plus Prosecco or another dry sparkling wine. If you'd rather order red, ask for "something light with soft tannin," which should land you on Dolcetto, Barbera or Pinot Noir. When you're cooking at home and want a match for your own recipe and your own palate, Sommy's Pairing feature reads the recipe or a photo of the dish and works from what you like.
Questions people ask about wine with carbonara and creamy pasta
What wine should you drink with carbonara?
A crisp, dry Italian white is the best wine with carbonara, and Frascati from the hills near Rome is the classic match. Verdicchio, Vermentino, Soave and dry sparkling wines like Franciacorta also work well.
What pairs well with carbonara?
Crisp white wine, dry sparkling wine and light reds such as Dolcetto pair well with carbonara. On the plate, a simple green salad with a sharp lemon dressing balances the richness of the sauce.
What kind of white wine pairs well with pasta?
Crisp Italian whites such as Pinot Grigio, Vermentino, Verdicchio and Soave pair well with most pasta, especially creamy, seafood and pesto dishes. Unoaked Chardonnay is the best choice for butter and cream sauces like Alfredo.
Can you drink red wine with carbonara?
You can drink red wine with carbonara if it's light and low in tannin, such as Dolcetto or a young Cesanese. Avoid big, tannic reds, which can taste metallic against the egg yolk.
What is the best wine to pair with spaghetti bolognese?
Sangiovese, especially Chianti, is the best wine for spaghetti bolognese, and Lambrusco is the regional match from Emilia-Romagna. Both have the acidity to handle the tomato and enough fruit for the meat.
