Tomato and Sausage Risotto

I had never made risotto for Joe before this dish. We were discussing things in the kitchen while I was stirring the risotto, and he asked, "A year ago, did you ever think that you would be cooking like this?" I said, "Absolutely not. To me, risotto was something you ordered at a restaurant."

Joe was amazed at how much liquid the grains absorb and how little dry risotto makes four meal-size portions once it is cooked. It's these kind of moments that make me glad that I make my food more often. I appreciate it so much more: the moment when the onion turns clear, the slight browning of garlic, the smell of white wine as it hits the hot pot. It makes the meal so much more satisfying when I finally sit down to eat.

This risotto is relatively quick to prepare (or maybe I've just gotten better since my first time) so it makes for a good weeknight meal. I had already cooked the sausage and used half a pound for another meal, so that saved me a little time as well.

Tomato and Sausage Risotto
source: Everyday Food via Reservations Not Required
Serves 4

1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, in juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed (I used 1/2 a pound)
1 small onion, finely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 bunch flat-leaf spinach, (10 to 14 ounces), washed well, tough stems removed, chopped (about 7 Cups)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (optional)
2 tablespoons butter

Instructions:
In a small saucepan, combine tomatoes (with their juice) and 3 cups water. Bring just to a simmer; keep warm over low heat.

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add sausage and onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up sausage with a spoon, until sausage is opaque and onion has softened, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add rice; cook, stirring until well coated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine; cook, stirring until absorbed, about 1 minute.

Add about 2 cups hot tomato mixture to rice; simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until absorbed, 4 to 5 minutes. Continue adding tomato mixture, 1 cup at a time, waiting for one cup to be absorbed before adding the next, stirring occasionally, until rice is creamy and just tender, about 25 minutes total (you may not have to use all the liquid).

Remove pan from heat. Stir in spinach, Parmesan, and butter; season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately (risotto will thicken as it cools), and sprinkle with additional Parmesan, if desired.

My First Risotto

I will readily admit that much of this blog is like an exhibitionistic grown-up version of getting my drawing put up on the refrigerator. To carry out the metaphor, I'm beginning to graduate from crudely-drawn stick figures to more realistic-looking representations, but I'm certainly no Botticelli or Titian. Cooking-wise, I've mastered boiling water and scrambling eggs, and I'm slowly pushing my boundaries and learning new techniques.

Last night Joe was on-call (again. Don't ask. This week is terrible.) so I decided I would try something new. That way if I ended up with something inedible, there would only be one hungry person to deal with. I was a little afraid, but I persevered. There are so many different things that people say about risotto: "It's so hard!" "It's actually easy, not hard like everyone else says." "You must do it X way or use X ingredient if you don't want your risotto to be TERRIBLE."

Well, I read a lot of recipes, and I worked with what I had. I stood over a hot stove for about 40 minutes stirring and stirring and stirring some more. The cat demanded attention and wedged himself between the stove and me so that I couldn't stir without stepping on the cat. But ultimately, I was successful. I sat down to a steaming bowl of risotto and a glass of merlot shortly before 8 pm, and after that first bite, I didn't even mind that I was still sweating. It was glorious.

Warning about the following "recipe": I don't know if it's the correct or proper way to do this. It's just what I did and what worked for me.

My First Risotto

Ingredients:

- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped

- 3 tbsp olive oil

- 3 cups chicken broth

- 1 can diced tomatoes, Italian-style

- 1 cup sliced portobello mushrooms

- 4 oz spinach

- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Directions:

- Saute the spinach and mushrooms in 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a small skillet until spinach is wilted and mushrooms are cooked through. Set aside.

- Meanwhile, bring the chicken broth to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.

- Saute the onion in the remaining 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan until translucent. Then add the rice and saute until it too becomes translucent.

- Add a ladle of simmering broth, stirring the rice until all the liquid is absorbed. Repeat this step until the broth is used up or the rice is al dente, whichever comes first. (No one really told me this, but it seemed like the rice absorbed the first few ladlefuls very quickly, and then it started to take longer the more I added in.)

- Add in the can of tomatoes and the sauteed spinach and mushrooms, stirring until the liquid is absorbed and the risotto is at the desired consistency. (It reminds me of Finding Nemo: "Just keep stirring. Just keep stirring.")

- Mix in the parmesan cheese. Give it one last stir, pour yourself a glass of merlot, plate the risotto, and sprinkle with some additional parmesan cheese.