Cioppino over Pasta - Discover California Wines (2024)

FAQs

What kind of wine to serve with cioppino? ›

Cioppino's rich seafood and tomato-based broth benefit from wines with fresh, citrusy notes and good acidity. Vermentino, Albariño, Provence rosé, and Friulano are all excellent choices to enhance and complement the dish.

Cioppino was developed in the late 1800s by Italian immigrants who fished off Meiggs Wharf and lived in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, many from the port city of Genoa.

White Wine: Adds acidity and brightness, complementing the seafood. Canned Crushed Tomatoes: Gives the cioppino its rich tangy flavor and vibrant color.

Serve the cioppino in bowls over the cooked fettuccine and garnish with the reserved fennel fronds, a wedge of lemon, and a piece of sourdough. Note: Clams and mussels often release grit and sand during the cooking process, especially if they are very fresh.

Seafood (spaghetti alle vongole, spaghetti with mussels, linguine with crab) need crisp dry whites such as Frascati, Verdicchio, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Muscadet or Picpoul de Pinet. A dry rosé is good too. Crab or lobster sauces can take a fuller white such as a good quality Soave or Chardonnay.

Albariño and Godello Galician wines

If you are looking for good quality Spanish white wines, Galician wines are highly recommended. Varieties with designation of origin such as Godello and Albariño (D.O. Rias Baixas), pair perfectly with raw, boiled, and grilled seafood.

However, cioppino can also be served over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes. Any number of veggie sides would be tasty here, from a simple salad to roasted asparagus or crispy baked zucchini.

Q: What is the difference between bouillabaisse and cioppino? A: Actually there isn't much difference other than Cioppino is Italian with a tomato-based broth and bouillabaisse is French with a bit of saffron and chopped tomatoes added to a fish broth.

The word “cioppino” comes from the Ligurian dialect “ciuppin” and means “chopped, torn to pieces”. This unfussy soup was consumed by mariners and port workers in taverns and inns around the Ligurian harbors.

Sauté onion, bell pepper, chile pepper, and garlic in hot oil until tender. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, parsley, juice from clams, basil, oregano, thyme, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper; stir well. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 to 2 hours, stirring in wine a little at a time.

How long will cioppino keep? ›

Storage and MakE ahead Instructions. The Cioppino broth can be made up to 4 days ahead and refrigereated, or can be frozen. Before serving bring to a simmer, then add the fish. Leftover Cioppino will keep up to 3 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container, or can be frozen for up to 3 months.

To cook seafood, choose a crisp, dry white wine like a Pinot Grigio, Muscadet, or Sauvignon Blanc. Pinot Grigio is the most versatile of these. Expect Sauvignon Blanc to be more acidic and add a lemony flavor to your dish.

You see, in Italy, Parmesan cheese is reserved for pasta dishes with tomato-based sauces, cream sauces, and meat-based dishes. Adding Parmesan cheese to a seafood-based dish, like spaghetti with clams, is a big no-no. It's like adding ketchup to a steak or pineapple on a pizza – it just doesn't belong!

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 221 calories; 43 calories from fat (20 percent of total calories); 5 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 108 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrate; 25 g protein; 3 g fiber; 663 mg sodium.

But there is a broad range of Italian white wines to pair with seafood: Lugana made from Turbiana grapes, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, Pecorino from Marche or Abruzzo, Falanghina from Campania, Greco di Tufo, Pigato from Liguria, Carricante from Sicily, the list is very long…

A Grenache, Pinot Noir or Beaujolais might be in order. If your preparation is spicy, then look for a wine that will balance that heat with a touch of residual sugar. Classic off-dry options include some Rieslings, certain Vouvrays and a number of New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs.

Chardonnay, Fumé Blanc, Viognier, Pinot Gris

If you have a broth-based soup, chardonnay works wonderfully. If you have a fish that's a little oilier, such as bluefish or mackerel, try pinot gris or viognier, or an Italian grillo.