Pumpkin, Italian Sausage and Sage Risotto
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
Directions
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In a saucepan, heat chicken stock and bay leaf, keeping it hot throughout the cooking of the risotto, keeping it barely simmering.
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.
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.
Meanwhile, heat 1 T. olive oil in a 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat. When shimmering hot, add broccolini; cook until crisp tender. Add remaining garlic; season broccolini with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside; keep warm while risotto cooks.
When most of the stock has been added, stop and taste to see if the rice is nearly done. It should be rich, creamy and cooked through, but still have a toothsome quality, creamy, but not mushy.
Add sausage, broccolini and thyme to the risotto; stir to combine. Stir in cream; season with nutmeg, pepper and salt, to taste. If necessary, add a splash of lemon juice (the acid in lemon juice can deepen and enhance the flavors. You shouldn’t taste it per se, but it will liven up the flavors.
Remove pan from the heat; stir in some of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Serve immediately with more cheese; garnish with parsley.
4-6 servings.