Hearty, Authentic, and Delicious: Mantovan Rice with Sausage
Mantovan Rice, or Riso alla Pilota, is a local favorite among Lambrusco winemakers.
Often, when confronted with the choice of a heart-warming Italian dish, pastas are usually the first thing that comes to mind. Sometimes, more Northern Cuisine versed foodie fans might even pick a rice based risotto. There is, however, a hidden gem of a dish coming from the North Central Italian area known as Mantova… that is Riso alla Pilota.
Riso alla Pilota (a rice with sausage dish) is a traditional dish from this area falling between Milan and Bologna. It’s name, “Pilota”, comes from the workers who prepare the rice for packaging after harvest. Traditionally, it uses the local Mantovan Salamella sausage, but for those of us in America that cannot find it, any thick, coarse grain pork sausage flavoured with salt, pepper, and garlic will work. In the Mantova area, pork is very common as it is often said that there are seven pigs to every person living in the area!
We love to pair this delicious dish with Lambrusco and other sparkling red wines, such as those of Frignano in nearby Emilia Romagna. Whether it is Sgarbato made from the rare uva tosca grape, or Scurone from Malbo Gentile, these Lambrusco inspired pet nat wines are near classic pairings with this dish. The light sparkling effect of the Lambrusco helps to cleanse the palate with the fatty sausage, and the well-balanced acidity present in the wine balances well with the starchiness of the rice.
Other fun pairing options for this Italian sausage rice recipe can be found in the realm of the barbera grape. After all, barbera in and of itself is a very food friendly grape, but here with Riso alla Pilota, it actually pairs nicely. Whether from classic appellations like a Barbera d’Alba or Nizza, or a Piemonte Barbera well-aged in oak, or super-natural 00 made Nilda and old vine Barla, barbera is a grape that lends itself well to this dish. The innate acidity of barbera has a similar effect as the sparkling effect of the previously mentioned Lambrusco.
Time to Find Wine and Food Harmony
We exist to allow all Americans, across the US, from businesses to consumers, to experience the pleasures of farm to glass wines. How can you get your hands on the hidden gems we forage for to enjoy with your food and wine pairings?
If you are a distributor reach out to us introduce our highly curated portfolio of one of a kind small production wines to your state.
We sell to wine stores and restaurants in certain states - contact us to learn more.
If our farm crafted natural wines and olive oils are not in your local shop or restaurant, buy wine online here, and we’ll ship it to you, including wine gifts.
We also have an award winning wine club for true wine explorers that are seeking to continually discover unique, sustainable and authentic small production wines they never had. These are wines selected by our sommeliers and curated for each box.
We do corporate gifts and sommelier guided wine tastings. Email us and we’ll tailor unique and sustainable corporate gift ideas.
Riso alla Pilota - Mantovan Rice with Sausage
Procedure:
1. Bring a pot of 2 ½ cups of lightly salted water to a rolling boil. Add the rice and boil for 10-12 minutes (or until the rice has absorbed almost all the water) stirring occasionally without a lid.
2. Remove from the heat and cover with a towel, then place the lid on top of the towel to seal in the heat in order to finish cooking the rice. This allows the rice to rest and stay warm, but the towel absorbs the moisture to make sure the rice is not steamed. Leave it rest for 10 minutes.
3. While the rice rests, melt the butter in a skillet and add the garlic clove cut in half or quarters (quarters for a stronger flavor, half for a more delicate aroma). Add the sausage and begin to brown, stirring to break it into small pieces as it cooks. When cooked, remove the garlic from the sausage and remove the skillet from the heat, do not drain.
4. After the 10 minutes, uncover the rice and pour the sausage mixture (fat and all) evenly over the rice. Mix all together with half of the grated Parmesan. Taste and add salt as needed.
5. Serve immediately with the remainder of the Parmesan sprinkled on top.
Cooking Time: 30-40 minutes
Portions: Serves 4 comfortably
Ingredients:
1 & 1/3 cups Rice
9oz bulk Sausage
1 clove Garlic
¼ cup Butter
1 cup Grated Parmesan
Salt
Wines to Pair:
Frignano Sgarbato Pet Nat Uva Tosca Organic Sparkling Natural Wine
Frignano Scurone Pet Nat Lambrusco Organic Sparkling Natural Wine
Barbera Wines
Pick Up Your Pairings
Sparkling Lambrusco Red Wines
Barbera Wines
