The other day, I had some Italian sausage and leftover bell peppers in my fridge that I wanted to use up. I knew I didn’t want pasta, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted. Then, as I was standing in front of my pantry closet and staring blankly into it, it hit me. Risotto!
Yes, risotto with sausage and peppers is what I was craving. There’s just something about the creamy, rich, delicious-ness of risotto paired with zesty sausage and crisp, sweet peppers. Is your mouth watering yet? Mine is.
Now, I think risotto has gotten a bad rap. People tend to shy away from making risotto because they think it’s difficult and cumbersome to make. Don’t get me wrong. Good risotto takes patience and a little love. But, it’s not hard. You can do it. I know you can! A while ago I posted my recipe for the Perfect Risotto. And that’s what I used when making this dish.
Compliments of It’s a Keeper
www.everydaytastes.com
1 batch of The Perfect Risotto (http://www.everydaytastes.com/2010/11/16/the-perfect-risotto/)
1 Tbs olive oil
1.5 lbs of Italian sausage, casings removed
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 cup white wine (or chicken broth)
Add olive oil to large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage, breaking it up into crumbles. Cook until the sausage is cooked through. Remove sausage from the pan. Leave 1 Tbsp of the rendered sausage fat in the pan and add peppers and onions. Saute until soft and slightly browned. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, tomato paste, wine and cooked sausage. Let simmer for 5 minutes.
Stir mixture into the prepared Perfect Risotto. Top with grated Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.
Is It a Keeper?
Mmmmm. Perfecto! By adding sausage and peppers to risotto, you kick the flavor factor waaaaay up! With the spiciness of the sausage and the sweetness of the peppers and onions….yeah, it was good. Really, really good.
When making risotto, you want to make sure you don’t over cook it. Stick to the 18 minutes. There should be enough liquid left that, when you scoop it onto your dish, the risotto starts to spread. You don’t want it to just be a blop of creamy rice on your plate. It should spread out slowly and evenly on your plate. That’s a good risotto.
Add some sausage and peppers…and that’s an even better risotto!
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