{risotto}

Don’t worry, I won’t start posting recipes for you. Unless you want me to. I just love risotto and love my new camera. Have you ever made risotto before? It’s really not that difficult. You just have to be willing to spend an hour next to the stove.

adapted from Alton Brown’s wild mushroom and asparagus risotto

6 cups chicken broth
1 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups Arborio rice
1 pound Italian sausage
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup chopped bell peppers
1 cup asparagus, cooked and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup freshly chopped basil

In a medium sauce pan, add the chicken broth and simmer on low heat.

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage, peppers and onions until cooked through. Chop the sausage up in the pan until it’s broken into smaller pieces. Remove from pan, but leave the olive oil.

Add the rice to the olive oil in the pan and sauté until golden brown. Add the wine and stir to deglaze the pan. Once the wine has been absorbed, add just enough of the chicken broth to cover the top of the rice. Stir or move the pan often, until the liquid is completely absorbed into the rice. Once the liquid is gone, add more liquid just to cover the rice and continue to stir as before. Repeat the process until all liquid is gone or the rice is tender. This should take about 40 to 45 minutes for all the liquid to be absorbed.

Once the last of the liquid has been mostly absorbed, add the cooked sausage, peppers, onions, and asparagus. Stir until the risotto is creamy and the asparagus has been heated. Remove from heat and add the Parmesan cheese and basil. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

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A lot of people think that risotto is difficult to make, but it’s actually kind of hard to screw up in my opinion. I believe that recipes are just a guideline really, so as long as you make it according to your own taste and preferences, you’ll be fine. Good luck!