Penne Carbonara

I tried this recipe last night using home smoked tofu,fresh fava beans from our garden (the squirrels ate most of our peas this year), the cashew bechamel with the Rouxbe basic vegetarian stock, and a pinot gris wine. I felt that the wine was the dominant flavor in the sauce, and pretty much overpowered the other ingredients. Tofu recipe: Rouxbe basic brine (overnight) Cold smoked tofu in Emson pressure smoker with applewood chips. (I did a 10 minute cold smoke to prevent the tofu from turning rubbery. The end result was a flavor and texture similar to smoked mozarella). Wine (2012 Benton Lane Pinot Gris: IMO, a pretty tasty wine with a lot of fruit and a racy acidity that I've been buying a lot a serving with both salads and stir-frys this season): I used this wine in the cashew bechamel and in both the penne carbonara recipe, as directed. The penne recipe called for 1/2 cup of wine to descale the leeks. I reduced the wine by about 2/3, and then added the basic white sauce, followed by the Rouxbe basic vegetable stock. The basic white sauce, though, also contains about 1/2 cup of uncooked wine (so about 1/8 cup uncooked, for the quantity of white sauce called for in this recipe. (Would cooking down the wine with the onions in the bechamel before blending better integrate the flavors?) I personally don't think that this is an unusually large amount of wine in a white sauce, and so was surprised by it's dominance (in particular, raw melon and floral flavors that IMO overwhelmed everything else). I'm guessing that the cashew white sauce is lower in fat than a standard whole milk bechamel. Is this accurate? If so, would adding a tablespoon or so of olive oil directly after the descaling and before the bechamel "mellow" the wine a bit more in relation to the sauce? Or, on another track, would a different wine pair better with this sauce? (I've never tried pairing with a cashew based sauce -- so maybe it's not a fat content issue, but one with basic flavor integration). Would an oaky/buttery (something that undergone a malolactic fermentation ie: California chardonnay) be a better choice for a cashew cream sauce pairing? Your thoughts are appreciated

Hi Rebecca - I know that wine and I like it as well. It is rather floral and I can see how that flavor impacted the balance of the dish. Upon reducing, the fruit flavors concentrate and the sweetness of the wine comes forth. Cashew cream is just as fatty as milk based bechamel, but it is less sweet - so perhaps this wine needs a touch of added sweetener to round out the flavor. Chardonnay may be a better option for you, given the depth and body it brings. I have used mostly drier and lighter wines, such as sauvignon blanc and have been happy with the results. It may also be that the dish needed a touch more seasoning/salt - this will bring out the flavor and depth from the cashews and aromatics as well. ~Ken

Hi Ken, That's a good suggestion. I believe I have a tendency to under-salt the dishes I make (I'm somewhat salt sensitive & often find restaurant food too salty). I'm accustomed to the flavor, but when I'm cooking for others, I try to bump it up just a bit so that the food is more palatable to everyone else. When I make this again, though, I'll try this and see if it makes a difference. It's good to know that the cashew bechamel is comparable in fat content to a dairy based bechamel. I will avoid adding additional oil to cashew cream to enhance flavors, and look for other alternatives instead. Becky

Can you skip the wine or do you have to use wine? is there any other optional for not using wine in general? Thank you..

Hi Hanan, you can skip the wine. For this recipe I would suggest skipping it rather than replacing it. It has such a delicate flavor profile and something too acidic could be dominating. It will still be delicious. You can skip the wine in the béchamel as well. Just make sure to add enough stock to keep it from being overly thick. Lauren