Risotto with Radicchio and Italian Sausage
Serves 4
1 small white onion (Musona), sliced
olive oil
3 Italian luganica sausages, sliced
350–400 g arborio, carnaroli or Sant’ Andrea risotto rice
1⁄2 glass white wine
1 litre chicken stock
1–2 heads of radicchio (Rossa di Treviso or Verona), roughly chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
butter, to serve
freshly grated Parmesan, to serve
Using a large, heavy frying pan, soften the onion in a little olive oil. Place the sausage slices
in the pan and fry until slightly browned. Add the rice together with the white wine and then,
after 1–2 minutes, enough stock to just cover the rice. Risotto rice takes about 20 minutes to
cook depending on the variety and you will need to keep adding the stock a spoonful at a time
so that it doesn’t dry out. Risotto should be slightly fluid, but not liquid when served.
After about 10 minutes, add the radicchio and season to taste. Stir occasionally, especially
towards the end of cooking, as it can stick. Test the risotto before serving to make sure the rice
is cooked through.
When ready to serve, add a knob of butter to glaze the risotto, and serve with freshly grated
Parmesan and a glass of good red wine (Gattinara, Spanna, Barolo or Amarone).
*taken from the book ‘From Seed to plate’ by Paolo Arrigo, published by Simon and Schuster