Sausage Risotto

I have been on such a risotto kick, and this time I decided to use some Kielbasa to make a sausage risotto. You can use any sausage you have on hand to make this delicious Sausage Risotto. It is super flavorful, filling, delicious, and makes some unbelievably good leftovers.

Sausage Risotto made with Kielbasa

I grew up eating Kielbasa because my dad’s side of the family is Eastern European. It became one of my favorite types of sausage, and I have tried a lot! I feel like even picky kids love kielbasa because the texture is similar to a hotdog. Also, I do know Kielbasa can be made with some unhealthy ingredients, but I found a brand that I really love and respect, so now I feel happy about serving kielbasa and this Sausage Risotto to my family.

What is Sausage Risotto?

Risotto is an Italian rice dish combining a short grain rice with liquids and slowly cooking it until creamy. The type of rice that is used is “Arborio”. Also, because it is a type of rice, it is naturally gluten free. I added sausage in this to make a Sausage Risotto

Is Risotto difficult to make?

Risotto definitely needs more stirring than making regular rice, but the stirring is not constant and it is cooked in under 30 minutes. I think Risotto is pretty easy to make, it just requires a bit of attention.

Risotto is one of those dishes that I was always scared to make because it is known to be “temperamental”. The thing is though, I don’t actually think it is. I feel like all it needs is a few extra stirs and it always ends up turning delicious. 

The only thing that may be “extra” about risotto is that you need to buy a specific type of rice. Risotto uses Arborio Rice. Most people don’t keep Arborio rice in their pantry, so you may have to plan this recipe in advanced. This recipe may not be considered a “quick” weeknight meal, but I do believe it is easy to make. Especially on a night when you have a bit more time or on a Sunday afternoon.

INGREDIENTS  

• 1 Cup Arborio Rice
• 10 oz Sliced Sausage
• 1 tbsp Butter or Olive Oil
• 1/2 Large Vidalia Onion 
• 1 tbsp Minced Garlic or 3-4 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup White Wine optional
• 4 – 5 Cups Chicken Broth 
• 1 Cup Pecorino Cheese
• black pepper 
• A few handfuls of Fresh Spinach

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Add butter to a large saute pan. Once the butter is melted, add the diced onion and garlic. Stir until the onion becomes translucent.
• Add the sliced sausage to the pan and brown on both sides.
• Add the rice to the pan and stir to mix it with the onions and garlic. Add the wine and two cups of the broth and cook on medium heat until liquid is almost evaporated. Give this a good stir every couple of minutes.
• Once the liquid is almost gone, continuing adding the broth one cup at a time. You should see that the dish is becoming very creamy.
• Once the fourth cup of broth has evaporated, the risotto should be fully cooked. The risotto should be soft and creamy, but not watery. If you think the risotto is hard, add a little bit more broth, stir, and cook it for an additional 5 minutes.
• Remove it from the heat and stir in the cheese and fresh spinach. Then, taste it and add a little salt or pepper to taste.

NOTES

I use a microplane to finely shred my pecorino into little cheese mountains. 🙂

If you like this dish, try my other risotto recipes:

Zucchini Risotto

Garlic Shrimp Risotto