Risotto with Italian Sausage, Caramelized Onions, and Bitter Greens

45 Reviews
ADD YOUR REVIEW
Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross
Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
By David Bonom
March 2008
RECIPE BY Cooking Light

Sweet onions and salty cheese temper the bitterness of arugula, which cuts the starchy richness of the rice. Garnish with lemon slices, if desired.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large)
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 8 ounces sweet turkey Italian sausage
  • 1/4 cup chopped shallots
  • 1 cup Arborio rice or other medium-grain rice
  • 1/3 cup white wine
  • 2 cups arugula leaves
  • 3 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino Romano cheese
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

Nutritional Information

  • Calories 390
  • Caloriesfromfat 24%
  • Fat 10.3g
  • Satfat 3.6g
  • Monofat 3.6g
  • Polyfat 1.4g
  • Protein 21.1g
  • Carbohydrate 53.1g
  • Fiber 4.4g
  • Cholesterol 54mg
  • Iron 2.4mg
  • Sodium 900mg
  • Calcium 104mg

How to Make It

Step 1

Bring broth and 1/2 cup water to a simmer in a medium saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.

Step 2

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and sugar to pan; sauté 7 minutes or until onion is golden. Place onion mixture in a small bowl; set aside.

Step 3

Removing casings from sausage. Add sausage to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add chopped shallots; sauté 2 minutes. Add Arborio rice; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in white wine; cook 45 seconds or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 cup hot broth; cook 2 minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 20 minutes total). Remove from heat; stir in reserved onion, arugula, and remaining ingredients.

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Ratings & Reviews

ChristineSN's Review

Moblack39
January 08, 2014
Delicious. Next time I'll add more greens.

AshleyEvans's Review

srasimowicz
February 28, 2013
This was delicious. The bitter greens played nicely off the sweeter onions and the sausage added a nice rich flavor. The sausage should be cooked until its truly brown (not until it has just lost its pink) for maximum taste -- which probably takes more like six minutes, not four.

Trollivier's Review

laura1125
February 06, 2013
N/A

searle1950's Review

aromine12
November 03, 2012
This is a family favorite, made with spinach-- a great cold weather comfort food!

EllenDeller's Review

hesto1
October 21, 2012
Very fall-like and hearty dish. Made according to recipe except that I added another sausage and took a reader's advice & pulled the sausage out, kept in same bowl as onions, then added back in at the end. Probably does retain more flavor that way. Served with steamed broccoli and summer squash, with a slice of crusty bread. I was happy with one serving, but my tall & athletic husband ate three!

LaurenKane's Review

JKL137
June 12, 2012
This recipe turned out absolutely wonderful!! I also put my husband to work with the stirring, and it made the process quite simple. I was always afraid to make risotto because I thought it was a difficult process, but I'm glad I tried this one. After one bite my hubby and I looked at each other in amazement that we created something so delicious. I will definitely make this dish again. I too substituted with spinach because of what we had one hand and it was still great!

aromine12's Review

ChristineSN
June 07, 2012
This meal was delicious! It was a bit of a painstaking process, but with my husband's help stirring, it made it a lot easier. I used about half of the onion the recipe called for, and was glad I didn't use any more. I also used spinach, because I had it on hand. Overall great recipe, I think I convinced my husband to eat more risotto!

Alidee06's Review

Trollivier
February 27, 2012
I thought this risotto was delicious! That small amount of pecorino romano gave it a creamy cheesy taste and the arugula was a nice balance with it's bitterness. I did give the arugula a quick steam in the microwave with some water in the bowl - and I left out the lemon zest accidentally. My husband had never had risotto before I made this and I think he'll be eating more of it now!

Pdmfpres's Review

GingerZin
February 02, 2012
What a great recipe! I followed it with the exception of using spinach in place of the arugala and adding an extra sausage to it. Even the kids loved it. I will definitely be making this again.

DonOberempt's Review

Pdmfpres
January 27, 2012
My wife and I really liked this recipe. The kids, however, felt it was a bit too bitter. Combo of the arugula and lemon zest. I will definitely make this again.