© Little Spice Jar
Malbecs beg to be paired with full-bodied foods such as leaner red meats, dark meat turkey, pepper, sage, creamy mushroom sauces and melted cheese. Reach for Finca Buenaventura’s Aureo Punto Malbec and this Leftover Turkey Pasta Bake for the perfect post-Thanksgiving meal.
Easy Leftover Turkey Pasta Bake
- 12 ounces cooked egg noodles or Pappardelle
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 pound baby Bella mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 ½ jar (22 ounces total) prepared Alfredo sauce
- 1 ½ cups turkey or chicken stock
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- ⅛ – ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup defrosted peas
- 2 cups shredded or diced turkey or chicken
- 1 ½ cup shredded (or diced) white cheddar cheese
DIRECTIONS:
- PREP: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a nonstick 13 x 9 baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
- SAUTE: Heat the butter in a large saucepan and saute the mushrooms over medium-high heat until they brown; about 7-9 minutes. Then, stir in the Alfredo sauce, chicken stock, and ricotta cheese. Season with garlic powder, basil, and red pepper flakes. When the sauce is smooth and heated through, stir in the peas and turkey (or chicken.) Then, fold in the prepared egg noodles and stir to combine.
- BAKE: Add the prepared turkey pasta mixture to the baking dish and sprinkle with cheese. Bake the turkey pasta for 15-18 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown on top. You could also give it a minute under the broiler at the end to help it along. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley on top, if desired, and serve!
- © Recipe courtesy of Marzia, Little Spice Jar.
NOVEMBER WINE CLUB:
Finca Buenaventura
Aureo Punto Malbec
Mendoza, Argentina
BOLD WINE STYLE
Finca Buenaventura means “Great Adventure” in Spanish. Finca is an award-winning winery located in the premier subzone of Uco Valley in Mendoza, Argentina. Recognized with numerous awards from Decanter Magazine and the British press, these wines are now exclusively available at WineStyles for the first time in the US.
Located an hour’s drive south from the city of Mendoza, the region is home to the production of Argentina’s icon grape variety: Malbec. It shines in the Uco Valley, with a distinctive floral aroma. It is considered part of the Mendoza region, but the Uco Valley can be recognized in its own right on several counts. Among Uco’s merits is its higher-altitude location at the foot of the Andes Mountains. The valley benefits from high daytime temperatures which drop to cool temperatures at night; this allows the grapes to produce balanced sugars and acidity while achieving phenolic ripeness. The dry continental climate brings little rain. Soils in the Uco Valley are alluvial and fairly uniform: a clay and rock base with a stony, sandy surface. These free-draining soils are excellent for quality viticulture as they stress the vines, leading to decreased vigor, lower yields, and consequently wines with a higher concentration of flavor.
Ruby in color with sparkling purple blue notes, the Aureo Punto Malbec has an intense nose of red fruit aromas, raspberries, cherries, pepper and vanilla. The mouth showcases a velvet like sensation with an open start, and a long end.
Varietal: 100% Malbec
Analysis: 14.5% alcohol / volume
pH: 3.7
Acidity: 5.4 g/L
Residual Sugar: 2.8 g/L
Aging: French & American Oak
Harvested: Middle of April
Altitude: 3680 feet
Winemaker: Sergio Giménez
ABOUT THE WINERY:
Fernando del Castillo and Ana Maria Delmar started this project in 2003 when they were looking for the perfect spot to establish an innovative idea: produce the best expression of the soil and sky. They found the land situated at the foothill, and on the aquifer, at an altitude of 3852 feet, protected by 180 degrees of mountains. They studied the land for more than one year, and began working. By 2005, the Finca Buenaventura vineyard was complete.
Fernando and Ana Maria belong to a completely different backgrounds. Fernando was a successful lawyer, participating in the Constitutional Reform as a consultant and constituent; while Ana Maria was a language and literature professor at a university. Both returned to school to be prepared for this challenge; they studied agri-business and marketing and continue to grow their knowledge at the vineyard and winery.
They are proud of having a fantastic, hard working team. Even their son and daughters, who have their own professions – an Oenologist, a Designer and an Agronomical Engineer- are all deeply involved in their family’s project. They understand the family’s idea that wine is an expression of art and are responsible of the vineyard with their 20 to 150 workers in harvest time.
ABOUT SERGIO GIMÉNEZ:
Sergio received his Bachelor of Oenology and Fruit and Vegetable Industry in 1996. He received the titles of Senior Winemaker and Senior Technician in Fruit and Vegetable Industries, awarded by the “Don Bosco” Wine School. After graduation, Sergio went on to be a secretary, advisor and winemaker for many different wineries throughout Argentina.
In July 2009, Sergio became the first winemaker of Mi Terruño Winery, located in the region of Maipú, Argentina. He helped make premium and super premium varietals, bottling them with the brands such as Uvas, Mi Terruño Reserva and Mayacaba, scored with more than 90 points by specialized journalists.
In March 2012, Sergio became the winemaker at Finca Buenaventura, where he still works today. He has produced premium and super-premium wines with the brands such as Aureo de Colección, Punto Aureo and Aureo a la Obra. His 2012 vintage of Aureo a la Obra obtained the gold medal in the 2013 Vinandino contest.
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