ITALIAN SAUSAGE & MIXED RED BEAN RISOTTO

ITALIAN SAUSAGE & MIXED RED BEAN RISOTTO image

Yield 4-6 people

Number Of Ingredients 13

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, additional 1 tbsp for sautéing of beans
½ small sweet red onion, chopped
2 fresh sweet Italian sausage (approx 8 oz), casings removed, cut or crumbled into small pieces
1 ¼ cup Arborio rice
¼ cup white wine, additional tsp for sautéing of beans
6 ounces red beans (2 ounces each of pinto, red & kidney beans) *if using dry beans, weigh out after they have been boiled
1 garlic clove, minced
Pinch of savoury spice
3 tbsp strained tomatoes (pomodoro passata)
4 cups warm or room temp chicken or vegetable stock
2 tbsp butter
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Steps:

For the sautéed beans 1. Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet. Add beans, pinch of salt, pepper & savoury spice, minced garlic and stir over high heat. Add white wine and stir for 1 minute. 2. Remove from heat and set aside uncovered. For the risotto 1. In, preferably, a "non-stick" soup or risotto pot warm olive oil over medium heat 2. Add onion and sausage and sauté until the sausage is thoroughly cooked (approx 8-1omin) 3. Add strained tomato and stir 4. Add rice and sauté for approx 3 minutes, stirring frequently 5. Deglaze by adding white wine and stir well, scraping any browned sausage bits from bottom of the pan 6. Add sautéed beans and ½ to 1 cup of stock (enough to just cover rice mixture) 7. Stir carefully to ensure beans are not mashed 8. Once liquid is absorbed, continue to add more stock in 1/2cup to 1 cup increments & carefully stir until rice is fully cooked but still al dente (approx 15 min) * note you may not have to use all 4 cups of stock 9. Remove pot from heat and stir in the butter and grated cheese 10. Season with salt & pepper to taste 11. Let rest, uncovered, for a few minutes prior to serving