Stepping away from baking this week and jumping right to one of my absolute favourite comfort foods, risotto.
I don’t know whether its the therapeutic constant stirring, the creaminess of the dish, the little bit of wine you cook with (and drink…) or the versatility of it, but risotto is my thing.
I’ve had my kale & mushroom risotto recipe up here for a while and decided to spread my wings a little and make it with something else. Enter, chicken sausage and asparagus!
If I’m honest, this risotto only has the sausage and asparagus in it because I needed to make dinner one night, didn’t particularly feel like making a trip down to the grocery store and there was some extra spicy sausage (Trader Joe’s!) and asparagus in my fridge.
Sometimes the best meals come when you’ve got nothin’ but a few items in your fridge or pantry.
I’ve made this a few times now and I really can’t get enough. I made it the first time with chicken broth (lighter pictures; fine, but not great) and the second time with chicken stock (more yellow/orange in colour; game changer, always use it!). Both spicy chicken and andouille are great sausage choices, the asparagus lends a nice crunch and the wine? Well, you can’t really go wrong when you add wine to whatever you’re cooking 😉
All I want in life is for someone to make risotto for me. This risotto, the one with kale and mushrooms, or another one with whatever random things you have in your fridge. If someone is willing to continuously stir for you, that’s true love.
Spicy Chicken Sausage & Asparagus Risotto
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 2 spicy chicken sausages, or 2 andouille sausages, chopped
- 1 bunch asparagus, chopped
- 3 1/2 - 4 cups chicken stock, warm
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan
Directions
- Step 1 Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the minced shallot and sauté until translucent – don’t let the shallot caramelize.
- Step 2 Add the rice and stir to coat in the oil. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the white wine and cook, stirring constantly, until it has absorbed.
- Step 3 Now, add the warm stock, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring continuously. Once the liquid has been absorbed, add another 1/4 cup and repeat the process until the rice is cooked. You might not use all of the stock.
- Step 4 In a different pan, sauté the sausage and asparagus until fully cooked. Once cooked, add to the risotto with the parmesan and stir well.
- Step 5 Serve. I recommend serving with a glass of wine and an extra sprinkling of parmesan
