Beer In Pasta? Italians Are Starting To Do It

When you think of Italian cooking, beer is not the first alcoholic beverage that comes to mind. Wine is still the top choice, thanks to the country's deep history with the grape-based beverage (the nation's oldest winery, Barone Ricasoli, dates back to 1141). But while dishes like spaghetti all'ubriaco and spezzatino di manzo rely on wine, some Italian cooks have been turning to beer for pasta sauces, marinades, and more as they pursue new flavors. As it is a relatively new practice, it's no wonder online discussions include comments saying you should use wine in your dish if you're trying to keep it Italian. 

One restaurant that's showing just how using beer in pasta is still Italian is Birrificio Italiano. The brewery and restaurant has crafted a spicy tomato-beer sauce that uses its own bock-style beer. As the alcohol burns off, the beer may impart its fruit and honey notes. In addition to creating new tastes, a beer's bitter notes can also balance familiar sweet or savory tastes. In fact, a splash of beer can improve the taste of a tomato sauce that's too sweet. Other pasta sauces rely on the process of deglazing a pan — that is, using a liquid to pull up the bits of caramelized onion, garlic, meat, and fat that stick to a hot pan. Using beer activates this process and helps bring out the flavors and aromas in the pan. If you make your pasta from scratch, use a splash of wheat beer in the dough when you do, and use the rest of it in a braised pork ragu for a rich, flavorful dinner. 

The next time you're craving pasta at home, reach for your favorite beer instead of a bottle of wine. IPAs are heavy on citrus flavors and result in a mix of bitterness with a zing when used in a sauce for a chicken pasta. If you're making a heavier red sauce, the complexity and nuttiness of a stout can add notes of nuts, malt, and even coffee to something like a pasta bolognese. Wheat beers can impart fruity notes, adding a new taste dimension to a seafood dish like steamed mussels and fettuccine. 

Beer-braised sausages can draw much of their flavor from the beer you use. Red ales may add some sweetness to contrast the natural spices in the sausages. Lagers and pilsners do a good job of bringing out the aromas of your ingredients with the subtle addition of the beer's crispness. A light beer in a pan with peppers, onions, and sausages will yield a flavorful dish that's still light enough to be served during a football game but can also be served over pasta for a complete dinner. Beer has been used in cooking from batter for fried fish tacos to even mac and cheese. It should be no surprise that it works so well in Italian pastas and sausage dishes.