Creamy sauces need a white wine. If you’re making a classic
carbonara, serve a generous fruity white such as Chardonnay, but if it’s a basic mushroom, garlic and cream sauce, stick to inexpensive, crisp Italian whites such as Frascati.
Pesto works well with herby northern Italian whites such as Gavi and Arneis, and with light, tangy reds. Go for a Dolcetto from northern Italy, or a decent-quality Beaujolais.
Seafood in the form of pasta alle vongole (cockles), is a wow with fairly plain, simple Italian whites. Try a bright, young Pinot Grigio or Verdicchio, served very cold.
Ragù requires red wine! The meaty sauce marries well with many medium-bodied reds, but top of the list are Valpolicella or Primitivo from Italy, Argentinian Malbec and Californian Zinfandel.
Cheesy dishes such as spinach and ricotta cannelloni, can be served with an inexpensive Italian white like Soave, but a more interesting match is Australian Chardonnay Semillon, which has the buttery character
to stand up to the creamy flavours.