I am SO glad this made enough for lunch leftovers today. It’s a cloudy, chilly fall day today and a little risotto will make the perfect lunch.
Ingredients:
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, in juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
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 Dutch oven, 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.
Did I change anything? I added a little Italian seasoning, but I think next time I will just buy the Italian-style diced tomatoes instead. I also didn’t use as much spinach because I didn’t buy enough.
What did the family think? Hubby and I really liked it. The kids were not impressed with the tomatoes or the spinach. They avoided them, but did manage to eat their dinner with minimal complaints. (These are the same kids who happily ate their spinach salad that was sitting right next to their risotto.)
Where did this recipe come from? Martha Stewart
photo from Martha Stewart