Cossetti Gelsomora Barbera d'Asti
Dark, intense and full of fruit like all good Italian red wines. From the Piedmont region in Italy, this wine made from the Barbera grape is luscious and fruity and everything you might hope for. Wonderful by itself but also a perfect partner to food. Think hearty northern Italian dishes like roasted meats, cheeses and rustic veg. The term ‘what grows together, goes together’ applies here.
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Click below for our perfectly paired recipe, playlist and tips to get the most out of this delicious bottle of wine. Cheers! x
Serve
Our top tips to get the most out of this bottle
🌡️ > Serve at room temperature in big red wine glasses
🍷 > Decant for 30 mins
😋 > Flavours of cherry, raspberry
🍕 > Try with pizza
🥳 > Showstopping dinner wine
📅 > Best enjoyed 2024-2027
Eat
Try the recipe we created to pair perfectly with this wine
Spaghetti and Meatballs
This is the recipe for our delicious pork and beef meatballs, packed full of flavour, served with spaghetti (al dente) and our rich, lightly spiced arrabiata sauce. A beautifully indulgent and satisfying combination.
Vegetarian/Vegan alternative:Our arrabiata sauce is absolutely delicious by itself and works wonderfully with the wine, top with basil and a generous serving of black pepper (completely vegan). If you eat cheese we’d recommend replacing the meatballs with chunks of mozzarella which will melt beautifully into the sauce and create additional texture!
Ingredients
Arrabiata Sauce
For 2 people (simply multiply depending on your party size!)
1 garlic clove
2 small dried chillies
Extra virgin olive oil (the best quality you can)
1 tin of whole tomatoes (the best quality you can – we use Mutti San Marzano)
Meatballs
For 30 meatballs (We recommend 4-5 per person and freezing the rest)
250g beef mince
500g pork mince
6 big turns of black pepper
3 big pinches of salt
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried chilli flakes
2 handfuls of fresh parsley
80g bread crumbs
4 crushed garlic cloves
Spaghetti
Method
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees. Starting with the sauce; add a big glug of olive oil to a small pan on a low heat. Let the oil warm through then add the whole garlic clove and dried chillies. Fry the garlic until golden on both sides, without burning and then remove from the pan.
Add the tinned tomatoes (there will be a loud crackle as these hit the hot oil) and stir together. Turn the hob to the lowest setting, put the lid on the pan and let simmer away while you cook the meatballs. Continue to stir the sauce every 20 minutes or so to ensure it doesn’t stick. Cook gently for at least 2 hours. Add salt and a little sugar (optional) to taste before serving and remove dried chillies.
Add all of the meatball ingredients into a large mixing bowl and use your hands to combine the mixture thoroughly. Grease a baking tray with olive oil (to stop meatballs sticking) then shape the mixture into rounds (around the size of golfballs) and place on the baking tray.
Add to the oven for a total of 30-40 minutes (until they are cooked all the way through and have started to crisp on the edges), turning them every 15 minutes or so.
Meanwhile put a pan of highly salted water to the boil and cook the spaghetti to your liking. In the time it takes the spaghetti to cook, add the meatballs to the tomato sauce.
Place spaghetti into bowls and top with the sauce, meatballs, black pepper and a generous helping of parmesan!
** PS. We make a huge batch and stick them in the freezer – there’s nothing more exciting than rummaging for ideas for a weeknight dinner and finding these guys hiding at the back of the drawer.**
** PPS. – Our arrabiata sauce is a regular, comforting weeknight meal for us. Simple, cheap and easy to make. Simply serve with your favourite pasta and lots of grated parmesan. Delicious!**
Listen
Our hand-curated playlist, chosen especially for this bottle
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Watch
Our top choice for what to watch whilst enjoying a glass
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