Ingredients

  • 1 lb sweet italian sausage, casings removed and meat crumbled
  • 4 to 5 cups unsalted chicken broth, preferably homemade
  • 2 tbsps olive oil
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced
  • 1 cup uncooked italian medium-grain white rice
  • 1/2 cup peeled, seeded and chopped fresh plum tomatoes, drained
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
  • 2 tbsps unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated parmigian cheese or more to taste
  • salt to taste
  • ground pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsps packed, torn, fresh basil leaves

Directions

  • Brown the sausage in a heavy skillet, stirring and breaking up into small pieces.
  • Spoon out one tbsp of the sausage fat and set aside.
  • Drain and discard the remaining fat and set aside the browned sausage.
  • Heat the chicken broth in a small saucepan until boiling.
  • Adjust the heat to maintain a steady simmer.
  • Combine the reserved sausage fat and olive oil in a heavy saucepan and heat over low heat.
  • Add the onion and saute until golden, about 8 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and saute 1 minute more.
  • Stir in the rice and saute over low heat, stirring, about 2 mminutes.
  • Add enough of the hot broth, about 1/2 cup, to just cover the rice.
  • Adjust the heat to maintain a steady simmer and cook the rice, stirring constantly, until almost all of the broth has been absorbed, about 3-4 minutes.
  • Add another ladle of broth.
  • Cook, stirring constantly, until all the broth has been absorbed.
  • Continue adding the broth, one ladle at a time, cooking and stirring.
  • Add the next ladleful when the broth is absorbed and the rice begins to pull away from the sides of the pot as it is stirred.
  • Add the tomatoes, chopped basil and half of the reserved cooked sausage during the last ten minutes of cooking.
  • Cook until the rice is creamy and firm, but not chalky in the centre when it is tasted.
  • The total cooking time is 30 minutes or more.
  • Remove from the heat.
  • Stir in the butter, cheese and salt.
  • Briefly reheat the reserved browned sausage.
  • Spoon the risotto into shallow bowls and divide the warmed sausage evenly among the bowls.
  • Sprinkle with the ground pepper and basil leaves.
  • Serve with additional grated cheese.