How to Make Risotto ~ Italian Sausage and Mushroom Risotto Recipe

Learn how to make risotto with this Italian sausage and mushroom risotto recipe. You can use Italian sausages and any mushroom of your choice to make a fantastic dish that comes together quick enough to make it for a weeknight meal, but impressive enough for your weekend guests.

For those of you who feel intimidated by the word “risotto”, and think it is something only to be ordered at a restaurant, please take this opportunity from me to learn how to make risotto.

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I will Show you How to Make Risotto Easily.

Just take it one step at a time, which is easy to do when you follow my step by step photos and directions.

Once you make this Italian sausage and mushroom risotto, you will see that it’s not at all difficult and will be able to venture into other ingredients and flavors: your favorite vegetable, plain, sun dried tomato, etc.  You see, any risotto is made with the same basic recipe, so you will have the framework to make your very own flavors! Give it a try and let me know how it turns out in the comment section below.

What is Risotto?

Riso is rice in Italian, so risotto is a dish made with rice. Traditionally, Northern Italy is famous for their risotti. The style and flavors range from area to area. For example, in the Piedmont area, they tend to like their rice a bit more al dente than other regions. Milan is famous for their saffron infused, meat based risotto: risotto alla Milanese.

Try Risotto alla Milanese

What Type of Rice is Best for Italian Risotto?

If you can buy Carnaroli rice, this is your best choice. The second best options Sant’Andrea or Arborio rice, and I’d recommend buying rice that is grown in Italy for best results. These types of rice are high in starch and make the best, creamy risotto. If you cannot source any of these, use a short grain rice, but know that the outcome won’t be as good.

Since posting this recipe, I was fortunate enough to be able to go to a private risotto making lesson at a grotto in Lugano called Cruise and Cook. Talk about an incredible experience!

My friend Cynthia (What a Girl Eats) was with me and she also wrote about it and is now in love with risotto-making.

A year earlier, I had a risotto cooking lesson in Turin at Qubí Cucina from Chef Marco Giachello. We made risotto al Barolo (as in Barolo wine).

A delicious three course meal, with risotto as the main dish! Check out the baked peaches recipe, too.

Learn to Make Risotto from Italians!

If there’s anything that really upsets me, it’s this: recipes being written (without any credit being given to any source) by sites/authors who claim to be authorities on the food or cuisine without any training, or background in those areas! Would you go to an Italian website to get a recipe for Carolina-style barbecue? Of course not, unless there are situations that make sense (the Italian author learned how to make it in South Carolina), right?

Many internet risotto recipes are not proper or traditional Italian risotto recipes! This is simply not fair to readers who just don’t know how to distinguish one recipe from another.

Here’s my caramelized leek, pecorino and sausage risotto recipe.

NOTE: If you live in Los Angeles, try the fresh Italian Sausages at Claro’s Italian Markets. They are the closest thing to the way my Italian family makes their own sausages. It will make a big difference in the outcome of your dish. Start with the best ingredients and finish with the best flavor!

I used Crimini mushrooms, but if you can find porcini (fresh or dried), even better.

Italian Sausage and Mushroom Risotto

Recipe by Christina Conte (classic Italian style learned from my mother)         Serves approximately 4

FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW

1. Start Cooking the Onion, Sausage and Mushroom

NOTE: if using dried porcini mushrooms, put them in a bowl and pour almost boiling water over them (about a cup/8 oz of water). Let them soak for at least 15 to 20 minutes. If they are too large, snip them into smaller pieces with kitchen shears. Do not throw away the porcini water as this will add to the flavor of the risotto, however, be careful not to use the very bottom of the bowl as sediment and dirt usually falls off the mushrooms. However much water you have, deduct that much stock, and use it in its place.

Add 3 tablespoonfuls of extra virgin olive oil to a large sauté pan over medium high heat, then add the chopped onion. Cook until onion is translucent, but don’t let it brown. In another small pan, sauté the fresh mushrooms in some oil, set aside.

Push onion to one side of saute pan, and add sausages (make sure casings have been removed.

Stir the onions, then start breaking sausage (I like to use a flat, wooden spatula tool, like you see in the photos) into smaller pieces.

Once sausage is broken up, mix onions and sausage together until sausage is fully cooked and starts to brown.

Remove from pan and set aside with the soaked porcini mushrooms or the fresh sautéed mushrooms.

2. Cook the Rice

In same pan, add 1 tablespoonful of olive oil, (heat should still be medium high), then add rice. Stir constantly,  (add a little more oil if rice is too dry or sticks,) and cook for 1 minute.

Add wine and stir constantly until it evaporates.

Start adding about 1/2 cup (113 ml) of hot stock (keep it in a pot on the stove) at a time, stirring so the rice doesn’t stick and until it is absorbed.

Continue adding the stock to the rice, always stirring. The rice will continue to grow as you add the liquid.

Add the Additional Ingredients.

Once all the liquid has been added, return the other ingredients to the pan.

Stir thoroughly and continue to cook until the rice is al dente. It should take no longer than 20 minutes to cook risotto; 18 minutes is usually perfect. Click here to see a short video clip of stirring the Italian sausage and mushroom risotto.

Add the Cheese and Butter to the Risotto (Mantecazione).

At this point, if the rice should be ready. Remove from heat and add the butter. This is the “mantecazione” of the risotto, which essentially is the final step to make the risotto creamy.

Add the grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and stir until the butter and cheese are no longer visible and the rice is creamy. Taste for salt and pepper, and adjust as needed.

Serve hot.

Garnish with a sprig of parsley for a nice touch. Delizioso! Now you know how to make risotto! Ask me any questions in the comment section below.

Italian Sausage and Mushroom Risotto

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

A delicious sausage and mushroom flavored risotto.

4.9 from 43 votes

Print Rate Pin

Special Equipment

• 1 large sauté pan
• 1 wooden spatula (optional)

Ingredients

• 1 large onion diced
• 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup Carnaroli rice or Arborio
• ½ cup white wine
• 3 cups hot beef stock or hot water plus 1 cube Porcini bouillon (or vegetable flavor) mixed in (or vegetable stock)
• 4 links Italian sausage removed from casings (omit for vegetarian) or ground sausage
• 1 cup dried Porcini mushrooms or you can use an 8 oz pkg (225 g) of white or crimini mushroom
• 1 tsp fresh parsley chopped
• ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese grated
• 2 Tbsp butter (good quality)
• ⅛ tsp sea salt to taste
• ⅛ tsp black pepper freshly ground to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Start Cooking the Onion, Sausage and Mushroom  NOTE: if using dried porcini mushrooms, put them in a bowl and pour almost boiling water over them (about a cup/8 oz of water). Let them soak for at least 15 to 20 minutes. If they are too large, snip them into smaller pieces with kitchen shears. Do not throw away the porcini water as this will add to the flavor of the risotto, however, be careful not to use the very bottom of the bowl as sediment and dirt usually falls off the mushrooms. However much water you have, deduct that much stock, and use it in its place.
• Add 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil to a large sauté pan over medium high heat, then add the chopped onion. Cook until onion is translucent, but don't let it brown. In another small pan, sauté the fresh mushrooms in some oil, set aside.
• Push onion to one side of saute pan, and add sausages (make sure casings have been removed.
• Stir the onions, then start breaking sausage (I like to use a flat, wooden spatula tool, like you see in the photos) into smaller pieces.
• Once sausage is broken up, mix onions and sausage together until sausage is fully cooked and starts to brown. Remove from pan and set aside with the soaked porcini mushrooms or fresh sauteed mushrooms.
• In same pan, add 1 tablespoonful of olive oil, (heat should still be medium high), then add rice. Stir constantly,  (add a little more oil if rice is too dry or sticks,) and cook for 1 minute.
• Add wine and stir constantly until it evaporates
• Start adding about ½ cup (115 ml) of hot stock (keep it in a pot on the stove) at a time, stirring so the rice doesn't stick and until it is absorbed
• Continue adding the stock to the rice, always stirring. The rice will continue to grow as you add the water.
• Once all the water has been added, return the other ingredients to the pan
• Stir thoroughly and continue to cook until the rice is al dente. It should take no longer than 20 minutes to cook risotto; 18 minutes is usually perfect.
• At this point, if the rice should be ready. Remove from heat and add the butter. This is the "mantecazione" of the risotto, which essentially is the final step to make the risotto creamy.
• Add the grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and stir until the butter and cheese are no longer visible and the rice is creamy. Taste for salt and pepper, and adjust as needed. Serve hot. 

Notes

• Click here to see a short video clip of stirring the Italian sausage and mushroom risotto
• If you live in Los Angeles, try the fresh Italian Sausages at Claro's Italian Markets. They are the closest thing to the way my Italian family makes their own sausages. It will make a big difference in the outcome of your dish. Start with the best ingredients and finish with the best flavor!

Nutrition

Serving: 1 bowl | Calories: 873kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 59g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 29g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 1498mg | Potassium: 852mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 276IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 198mg | Iron: 4mg

Did you Make this Recipe?

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Author: Christina Conte

Course Main Courses

Cuisine Italian

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