Italian Sausage and Mushroom Risotto
A delicious sausage and mushroom flavored risotto.
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
Instructions
- Start Cooking the Onion, Sausage and Mushroom (SEE NOTES IF USING DRIED PORCINI MUSHROOMS)
- 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 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.
- 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
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