Pairings: A bright zinfandel pairs brilliantly with tomatoes and basil

Our Wine of the Week, Cline 2016 Contra Costa County Ancient Vines Zinfandel ($20) is a beauty, a wine that can readily hold its own among wines two or three times its price.

The first characteristic you notice is the wine’s brightness, express in both its fruit - especially ripe cherries and red raspberries - and its acid, which eclipses the sweetness, from its 15 percent alcohol, that might otherwise break through. It’s light on its feet yet substantial, like Fred Astaire or, for a more timely comparison, Janelle Monae when she is singing and dancing.

It is a wine you can enjoy year round. In cooler months, pair it with winter squashes, sweet potatoes, slow-cooked tomato sauces and homemade macaroni and cheese. It shows itself gorgeously with braised sausages over creamy polenta.

In the summer, you’ll love it with grilled pizza, ratatouille, roasted sweet peppers with mozzarella and good red wine vinegar, hamburgers cooked on the grill, grilled red onions and savory dishes that include blueberries, such as ribs with blueberry sauce.

Today’s recipe is inspired by our summer tomatoes and by the whisper of licorice in the wine. Basil, too, has a licorice-like nuance, and when it is added to this simple tomato butter sauce, the match soars.

Summer Pasta with Tomato Butter Sauce and Basil

Makes 4 servings

- Kosher salt

12 ounces pappardelle or fettuccine

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 shallots, minced

2 pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and minced

- Black pepper in a mill

- Handful of Genovese basil leaves

- Chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano or Vella Dry Jack

Fill a large pot two-thirds full with water and add a generous tablespoon of salt. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat and add the pasta. Stir gently until the water returns to a boil and then stir a few times while the pasta cooks. Cook according to package directions and when the pasta is done, drain it but do not rinse it. Tip it into a wide shallow bowl.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium sauté pan set over medium heat. When the butter is foamy, add the shallots, reduce the heat to medium-low and sauté until soft and fragrant, about 7 to 8 minutes. Season with salt, add the tomatoes and simmer until much of the liquid has evaporated, about 7 to ?8 minutes. Add the remaining butter and when it melts, remove the pan from the heat. Stir gently, taste, correct for salt and add several generous turns of black pepper.

Working quickly, stack the basil leaves and use a very sharp knife to cut them into very thin lengthwise ribbons.

Pour the sauce over the pasta and use two forks to lift the pasta, over and over, to coat it throughly and evenly. Scatter the basil on top.

Enjoy right away, with the cheese and a small grater alongside for guests to add as much or as little as they wish.

Michele Anna Jordan is the author of 24 books to date, including “The Good Cook’s Book of Tomatoes.” Email her at michele@micheleannajordan.com.