Harmonization of our Adega Mayor Reserva do Comendador Red by Filipe Frazão

Rigatoni with roast pork cheek

4 people

Ingredients:

• 5 pork cheeks
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1 celery stalk, sliced
• 1 leek, sliced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 bunch of thyme
• Black pepper
• Olive oil
• Fleur de sel
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Integral salt
• 400 g rigatoni
• 24 months St. George's cheese, grated, to taste

Preparation:

1. Turn on the oven at 200ºC. Put the pumpkin in cubes in a tray. Sprinkle with some sage leaves and a dash of olive oil, and put in the oven for about 25 minutes, until tender and slightly caramelized;
2. Crush half of the pumpkin into puree and set aside the other squares of roasted pumpkin;
3. While the pumpkin roasts, fry some fresh sage leaves to serve at the end of the serving;
4. Put the vegetable stock on the heat, keeping it very hot during the preparation of the risotto;
5. Put a dash of olive oil, the onion and the garlic in an iron pan and simmer slightly;
6. Then put the rice and mix well, stirring constantly, until you notice that the berries are slightly translucent at the ends. Add the white wine and bring to the boil until all the liquid has evaporated;
7. Add a little vegetable stock to the rice, shell by shell, and stir until the rice absorbs the stock. Add more stock as the rice is cooking and only when the last stock has been completely absorbed;
8. In the middle of cooking, add the roasted pumpkin puree, continuing to stir;
9. Once the risotto is cooked, turn off the heat and add the reserved roasted pumpkin cubes, the blue cheese and the parmesan, wrapping gently. Check the seasoning;
10. Serve immediately, with fried sage leaves, toasted and chopped nuts and a little more cheese.

Serve immediately.

Bon appétit

Filipe Frazão