Risotto con Salsiccia

Ingredients

• 300 g carnaroli rice (or arborio)
• 300 g Italian sausage (3–4 mild pork sausages, or bulk sausage meat)
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 liter chicken broth (or vegetable broth), warm
• 150 ml dry white wine
• 80 g Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
• 50 g unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds (optional, if your sausage doesn’t already contain them)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

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Instructions

1. Brown the sausage

1. Remove the sausage meat from the casings (if using links).
2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large, wide pan over medium-high heat.
3. Add the sausage meat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon into bite-sized pieces.
4. Cook for 5–6 minutes until well browned and slightly crispy on the edges.
5. Remove from the pan and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.

2. Toast the rice

1. Reduce heat to medium.
2. Add the remaining olive oil and 15 g butter to the pan with the sausage fat.
3. Add the diced onion and fennel seeds (if using). Sauté for 4–5 minutes until softened.
4. Add the rice and stir to coat every grain in the fat.
5. Toast for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the edges of the grains become slightly translucent.

3. Deglaze with wine

1. Pour in the white wine.
2. Stir continuously, scraping up any browned bits from the sausage, until the wine has fully evaporated — about 2 minutes.

4. Cook the risotto

1. Add the bay leaf and rosemary sprig.
2. Begin adding warm broth one ladleful at a time, stirring frequently.
3. Wait until each addition is mostly absorbed before adding the next.
4. Continue for 16–18 minutes total from the first addition of liquid.
5. About halfway through, return half of the browned sausage to the risotto.

5. Mantecatura (finishing off the heat)

1. Remove the pan from the heat. Discard the bay leaf and rosemary sprig.
2. Add the remaining butter (35 g) and the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
3. Stir vigorously until creamy and velvety.
4. Fold in the remaining browned sausage.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste — the sausage is already salty, so taste first.
6. If too thick, add a splash of warm broth.

6. Serve

1. Plate immediately.
2. Garnish with fresh parsley and a little extra Parmigiano.

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Tips

• Use good quality Italian sausage — mild or sweet sausage works best. The fennel and spices in the sausage season the entire dish.
• Brown the sausage well — those crispy, caramelised bits add depth to every bite. Don’t move it around too much in the beginning.
• Keep the rendered fat — it carries concentrated sausage flavour and toasts the rice beautifully.
• Taste before salting — Italian sausage is well-seasoned. You may need less salt than you think.
• Save some sausage for the top — mixing it all in loses the visual appeal and the textural contrast of those crispy pieces.

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Variations

Variation	Change	Notes
Spicy (Risotto con Salsiccia e Peperoncino)	Use hot Italian sausage, or add 1/2 tsp red chili flakes with the onion	A fiery, bold version
With red wine	Replace white wine with 150 ml Sangiovese or Chianti	Deeper, richer colour and flavour
With saffron	Add a pinch of saffron with the first ladleful of broth	Combines the best of Milanese and sausage risotto
With radicchio	Add 150 g sliced radicchio di Treviso with the onion	Bitter radicchio balances the richness of the sausage
With pumpkin	Add 200 g diced roasted pumpkin halfway through cooking	Sweet and earthy — perfect for autumn

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Result

Rich, savoury, and deeply comforting — the fennel-spiced sausage infuses every grain with its flavour, while the crispy browned pieces on top give each bite a satisfying bite. A rustic risotto that feels like a warm hug on a cold evening.