Sausage Risotto
Sausage Risotto is a hearty, satisfying dish that combines the richness of Italian sausage with the creamy texture of Arborio rice.
Servings: 6
Equipment
- heavy bottomed deep skillet or dutch oven
- sharp knives
Ingredients
- 1 lb sausage *see notes
- ½ tsp olive oil
- 1 28oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup roasted red peppers
- 4½ cup low sodium beef broth *see notes
- ⅓ cup yellow onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black cracked pepper
- 1 tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp chopped rosemary
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ cup dry white wine *see notes
- 2 cup arborio rice *see notes
- 1½ cup spinach, chopped
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- 1 Tbsp butter
Instructions
- Heat 1/2 tsp oil in a large, deep, heavy bottomed sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Crumble the sausage into the pan and cook, breaking up any large pieces and stirring occasionally, until the meat is cooked through and crisp at the edges. Drain the excess grease and move the sausage to the side.
- While the sausage is cooking, add the diced tomatoes with juices, roasted red peppers and beef broth in a medium saucepan over low heat and keep it at a very low simmer to blend the flavors.
- In the same pan that's lightly greased from the sausage, add onions, seasonings and garlic. Sauté for about 3 minutes on medium/low heat. Add the rice and stir until every grain is coated with fat. Continue stirring the rice until the edges have turned translucent but the center is still opaque, about 3 minutes.
- Add wine into the pan to deglaze everything and simmer, stirring constantly, until the wine has reduced a bit and about 3-5 minutes. Begin incrementally adding the tomatoes and broth mixture one 1 cup at a time, stirring often.
- Keep the heat on medium low to ensure the rice doesn't burn. Wait to add another ladle until the liquid has been almost completely absorbed by the rice.
- Continue adding broth mix until the rice is al dente and no longer crunchy. Begin tasting the rice after about 15 minutes to gauge how far it has cooked. The risotto is done when is resembles a thick porridge about 25-35 minutes (photo 6). If you do run out of liquid and feel you want to cook the rice a bit more, add any leftover broth or a bit of water, 1/4 cup at a time.
- Stir the chopped spinach into the risotto is done, let it wilt. Remove the risotto from the heat, add in the parmesan, sausage and butter. Serve immediately and add more parmesan, salt & cracked pepper if needed.
Notes
*ground turkey, venison or chorizo will also work well.
*veggie or chicken broth will also work for this recipe.
*Carnaroli rice will also work well.
*sherry wine is a good substitute.
*store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to4 days. You can also freeze for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 544kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 1480mg | Potassium: 716mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin A: 959IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 4mg