Viognier

Pasta Salad with Grilled Vegetables, Parsley and Feta

  • 3/4 pound orecchiette
  • 1/2 pound thin asparagus
  • 1 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise 1/4 inch thick
  • 1/2 small eggplant, sliced lengthwise 1/2 inch thick
  • 7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 small shallot, finely chopped
  • 4 ounces French feta cheese (3/4 cup), crumbled
  • 1 cup parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
  • 1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped

Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the orecchiette until al dente. Drain the pasta, rinse under cold water and drain well. Transfer the orecchiette to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, brush the asparagus, zucchini and eggplant with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the vegetables over moderately high heat: turn the asparagus several times, until crisp-tender and charred, about 2 minutes; turn the zucchini once, until tender and charred, about 3 minutes; turn the eggplant once, until tender and charred, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the grilled vegetables to a work surface. Cut the asparagus into 1-inch lengths. Cut the zucchini crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. Halve the eggplant slices lengthwise, and then cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. Add the grilled vegetables to the orecchiette.

In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice with the shallot and the remaining 5 tablespoons of olive oil. Pour the dressing over the pasta and toss to coat. Add the feta cheese, parsley and olives, season with salt and pepper and toss again, then serve.

Fettuccini Alfredo with Asparagus

  • 1 pound asparagus
  • 3/4 pound fettuccine
  • 4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • Pinch grated nutmeg
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard them. Cut the asparagus spears into 1-inch pieces. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the fettuccine until almost done, about 8 minutes. Add the asparagus; cook until it and the pasta are just done, about 4 minutes longer.

Drain the pasta and asparagus. Toss with the butter, cream, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and Parmesan. Serve with additional Parmesan.

The following suggestions and recipes have been created uniquely for Kingman Estates Winery by Brenda Rumery to enhance your enjoyment of our Viognier White Wine

Cheese Pairings:
Havarit Cheese, soft and creamy
MontChevre, Fresh Goat Cheese, Lemon, very light flavor

Brats with sauté onions and Dijon mustard accompanied with Black Bean and Corn Salad. The salad can be found on any of the recipe apps.

Chicken with caramelized onion & cardamom rice
This recipe is from a cookbook called Jerusalem, has green cardamom, cinnamon sticks, and currants, all have a slightly sweet flavor which is quite delicious with the wine.