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This is a full-fledged main course version of a dish that, particularly without meat, is often a first course in Italy. This makes enough for 6 so it requires a large cooking pan. The 6.75 Qt. Risotto Pot fills the bill admirably. Keep the vegetable stock warm in a 3.5 Qt. Round Oven.
We like the combination of sweet and hot sausage but you can choose to use all of one or the other. If there is no fennel seed in the sausage and you like that flavor, add some fennel seeds to the pan.
1 lb. Italian sweet sausage
1/2 lb. Italian hot sausage
4 tbsp. olive oil
1 1/3 cup Italian full-bodied red wine such as Barbera or Borolo
1 tbsp. chopped fresh sage
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. fennel seed ground in a mortar and pestle (optional)
About 8 cups broth - vegetable or meat base (you may not need all the broth, but if you need more use hot water)
5 tbsp. unsalted butter
4 shallots, finely chopped
2 1/2 cups Italian Arborio rice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup (or more to taste) freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Remove the sausage from its casing and crumble it. Heat half the oil on medium in the Risotto pan and when it’s hot add the crumbled sausage and cook, breaking up any clumps with the side of a spoon, until nicely browned, about 5 minutes.
Pour the wine over the meat and cook until the sausage loses its red, raw color - about 5 minutes. Mix in the sage and fennel seed if using then scrape the mixture onto a platter and reserve.
Heat the broth to a simmer on another burner/element. Wipe out the Risotto pan and return it to medium-low heat. Melt the butter and the remaining olive oil in the pan and add the shallots. Cook until they are translucent, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
Add the rice to the pan with the shallots and stir well, until all the grains are coated and the rice changes color slightly - about 2 minutes. Note the time and start adding the simmering broth, a ladleful at a time, stirring all the while. Add another ladleful of broth only when the previous ladleful has been absorbed.
After about 10 minutes, add the sausage and any juices that have accumulated to the rice. Stir and continue cooking and adding more broth an additional 10 to 12 minutes until the rice is creamy. (You will just be able to flatten a grain between your fingers.)
Serve, passing the Parmesan cheese at the table.
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