Description

You will love this rich and creamy risotto, with pumpkin, Italian sausage, onion, and fresh sage leaves. The different flavors pair together nicely. Use ground beef or turkey if you would prefer.

Ingredients

• 1 c. dry white wine
• 2 c. Arborio rice
• 8 c. low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
• 3 T. olive oil
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 1 c. onion, chopped (about 1 medium)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T. chopped fresh sage leaves
• 1 lb. bulk spicy Italian sausage
• 1 ½ c. solid packed pumpkin
• 1 lb. broccolini, trimmed, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 T. finely minced Italian parsley
• 1 T. fresh thyme leaves
• ½ t. salt or to taste
• ½ c. light cream
• ½ t. freshly ground pepper
• freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
• ½-1 c. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• freshly squeezed lemon juice, if needed

Steps

1. In a saucepan, heat chicken stock and bay leaf, keeping it hot throughout the cooking of the risotto, keeping it barely simmering.
2. Using a heavy 5 quart saucepan, heat about 1 T. olive oil until hot; add sausage; cook until well browned. Transfer sausage to a paper towel lined plate. Drain fat from the pan; return pan to the stovetop over moderate heat.
3. Add 1 T. olive oil to the pan; add onion and ¾ of the garlic; sauté until onion starts to soften, 3-5 minutes. Add rice and sage; stir to coat rice with olive oil and onion mixture. Add wine; cook until it has been almost fully absorbed. Add pumpkin puree; stir to combine. Add stock mixture, 1 c. at a time; stir until each addition of liquid is absorbed.