Creamy Italian Sausage Risotto

Risotto is not difficult to make—it just takes a little patience.

The magic happens through a slow-cooking process: adding small amounts of warm broth over time and letting the rice absorb it before adding more. This technique releases the starches in the rice, creating that signature velvety sauce without needing heavy cream.

While it requires some time at the stove, you will be rewarded with a delicious, comforting meal that rivals anything you could order at a restaurant. Bonus- it tastes even better the next day!

This risotto is an approachable riff of the classic Risotto alla Milanese - getting it's sunny color from turmeric rather than the traditional saffron.

It's a great option when you're hosting dinner parties. You can make it before everyone arrives and just warm it up when its time to eat. The flavour only improves with time. And it's an easy recipe to scale!

Ingredients You’ll Need

• 3 Tbsp Butter
• 1 lb Italian sausage (sweet or spicy, depending on your preference)
• 1 Sweet onion, diced
• 1 Red bell pepper, chopped
• 8 oz Mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 2 cups Arborio rice (crucial for the right texture!)
• 2 tsp Turmeric (for flavor and a golden glow)
• 1 cup Dry white wine (like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc)
• 8 cups Chicken stock
• 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Fresh Parsley for garnish

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Warm Your Stock

Pour the chicken stock into a medium pot and keep it on a low simmer.

2. Brown the Sausage & Aromatics

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage and cook until lightly browned, crumbling it into bite-sized pieces as you go. Add the diced onion and bell pepper, sautéing for about 5 minutes, until softened.

3. Season and Sauté

Add the mushrooms, salt, pepper, and turmeric. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes. The turmeric will give the dish a beautiful, earthy aroma and a vibrant color.

4. Toast the Rice

Add the Arborio rice to the pot. Stir to coat the grains completely in the butter and fats, toasting for about 2 minutes. This "toasting" step helps the rice grains maintain their structure and enhances their flavour.

5. Deglaze the Pan

Pour in the white wine to deglaze. Use your spoon to scrape up all those flavorful browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.

6. The Stirring Method

Once the wine has evaporated, add 1/2 cup of the warm broth. Stir occasionally as the liquid absorbs.

How do you know it's ready? When you run a spoon through the mixture, the "path" should stay dry for a second rather than filling with liquid.

Repeat this process—adding 1/2 cup of broth at a time and stirring—until all the broth is used and the rice is tender.

7. The Finishing Touch

Stir in the grated Parmesan until melted and creamy. Serve immediately. Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and a little extra Parmesan.

Tell me what you think!

If you make this risotto, I’d love to hear how it turned out! Leave a comment below or tag me in your photos.

Risotto

A classic, elevated comfort food.

• 3 Tbsp butter
• 1lb package italian sausage (sweet or spicy according to your preference)
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 2 tsps turmeric
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 8oz mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 2 cups arborio rice
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• salt and pepper
• fresh parsely for garnish

1. Pour chicken stock into a medium pot and keep on a low simmer.
2. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat.
3. Cook Italian sausage until lightly browned, crumbling into bite sized pieces.
4. Add onion and red bell pepper and saute for about 5 minutes.
5. Add mushrooms, salt, pepper, and turmeric and continue cooking for 5 more minutes.
6. Add the rice and stir to coat completely, toasting for 2 minutes.
7. Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan. Scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom.
8. When the wine has evaporated, add 1/2 cup of the warm broth and stir until absorbed into the rice. (When you run a spoon through the mixture, you shouldn't see liquid.)
9. Continue adding broth 1/2 cup at a time (and stirring!) until you've used all of it. Stir in parmesan.
10. Serve immediately. Garnish with chopped parsley and additional shredded parmesan.

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