When asked during the March 28th VeroTalk what traditional dish would pair best with her and her husband Giuseppe’s Organic Lambrusco dry red sparkling wine, Bugno Martino’s owner Raffaela Merlin didn’t hesitate to suggest traditional Mantovan dish: Riso alla Pilota (rice with sausage).

Riso alla Pilota is a traditional dish from the Mantova area.  The name ‘Pilota’ comes from the workers who prepare the rice for packaging after harvest.  Traditionally, it uses the Mantovan ‘Salamella’, or a thick, coarse grain pork sausage flavoured with salt, pepper, and garlic.  Pork is very common in Mantovan dishes: in fact, Raffaella points out ‘there are 7 pigs to every person!’

Raffaela recommended pairing this delicious dish with Bugno Martino’s organic Lambrusco, Rosso Matilde. The light sparkling effect of the Lambrusco helps to cleanse the palette with the fatty sausage, and the well-balanced acidity present in the wine balances well with the starchiness of the rice.

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

Let us know in the comments below how your take on Riso alla Pilota came out, and how well you thought it paired with Bugno Martino’s Lambrusco! Pick up a bottle in our shop, and we will ship it directly to your home!