Pasta & Sake: A Pairing Guide
When you imagine food to pair with sake, pasta probably isn’t the first thing you think of.
Fair enough.
‘Sake doesn’t fight with food’ - meaning that this beverage can work as the perfect wingman for any dish of your choosing. It’s a fantastically versatile drink which suits a wide range of cuisines, yet unfortunately pairings still seem to be limited to Japanese food in the eyes of the general public. At Mai, we want to fight this misconception one dish at a time, and today, we are focusing on pasta!
So pull up a chair, grab a fork and tuck into our ‘Sake and Pasta Pairing Guide.’
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Salty & Dry
This style of pasta consists of tomatoes, olives, capers, and anchovies, making it a blast of salty savouriness. With so much action on the palate, you can choose a dry style of sake to act as a cleansing sip between mouthfuls. Hints of salinity and rice-based umami can really help to accentuate and lighten those pre-existing flavours on the plate!
Recommendations: Ultra Dry Junmai, Gyo-Ten
Creamy & Hearty
Beef Lasagne with Béchamel Sauce, Mac & Cheese, Cacio e Pepe:
Despite their diverse origins, cacio e pepe, lasagne, and mac and cheese are united by a common thread: each dish celebrates the rich, comforting union of pasta and cheese. For us, our Sadaijin Junmai is a no-brainer as the perfect pairing. It’s smooth, full-bodied and has enough personality to perfectly match the creaminess of these types of pasta. It helps that Otone Brewery owner Tsunenori Abe specifically mentions ‘lasagne’ as a great pairing for his styles of sake…
Recommendations: Sadaijin Junmai
Meaty
Spaghetti Bolognese, Pappardele with Pork Ragu:
For tomato-and-meat-based sauces, you really want to focus on that delicious richness of flavour. With slow-cooked meat, herbs and tomato, it’s understandable that you might be tempted to reach for a good bottle of red wine instead.
But put that corkscrew down!
You’re looking for a sake that will have enough acidity to complement the tomato in the sauce, yet cut through the oily richness of the meat. A muroka nama genshu can fit the bill, with acidity, full-bodiedness, and a higher level of alcohol to balance out the meaty profile of such dishes.
Recommendations: Akamon, Orange Eikun
Light and Fresh
Spaghetti alle Vongole, Goat’s Cheese Ravioli with Pesto:
Pasta dishes with a delicate, aromatic nature are great fun to play around with for sake pairings! Every ingredient can be accentuated, from the notes of olive oil and garlic to the light acidity of white wine in vongole. Our Iwate Homare Junmai Ginjo offers a light fruity acidity, perfect to accentuate the fresh herbs of the pesto or the briny sweetness of the clams! Meanwhile, the soft minerality of Bi Bi Bi can transport you straight to sandy beaches to enjoy your Vongole.
Recommendations: Iwate Homare Junmai Ginjo, Bi Bi Bi
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The right sake can truly elevate any occasion - don’t shy away from opening a bottle the next time you’re enjoying pasta!
