3cupsbeef broth or chicken brothpreferably beef broth
2tablespoonsolive oil
1cupdiced onion
1cupdiced carrots
1lbbulkor de-cased raw Italian chicken sausage
1cuprisotto riceor other Italian risotto rice
¾cupdry red wine
¼-3/4teaspoonsaltdepending on taste
¼teaspoonfreshly cracked pepper
1, 15oz.can garbanzo beansdrained and rinsed
½cupgrated parmesan cheese + additional to garnishoptional
Instructions
1. Pour the broth into a medium-size saucepan and heat up to right below simmering over medium-low heat. Keep the pan on the burner over low or medium-low heat as you make the risotto.
2. While the broth warms up: heat up the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 12" deep skillet or dutch oven pan over medium heat.
3. Add the onion, carrots, and sausage to the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently and crumbling the sausage as you cook, or until the meat is cooked through and the onions are beginning to turn translucent.
4. Stir the rice in with the vegetables and meat and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring as you cook, or until the rice smells nutty and is just starting to golden.
5. Pour the red wine into the pan and cook for 2-3 more minutes, stirring as you cook, or until almost all the wine has evaporated.
6. Add one ladle of the warm broth to the rice and stir the rice until it absorbs.
7. Repeat step 6 until you have used almost all of the broth. It should take around 20-25 minutes.
8. Add the last ladle of broth with the salt (to your taste), black pepper, garbanzo beans, and cheese. Stir in until the broth is absorbed and the cheese is melted.
9. Serve the risotto hot with additional parmesan cheese to garnish, if desired!
Notes
For best flavor, I recommend beef broth for this recipe. You can use chicken broth in a pinch, however.
You can also use 1 lb bulk or de-cased raw Italian pork sausage, but it will increase the calorie count and fat content of this recipe.
Other kinds of Italian risotto rice you can use are Carnaroli, vialone, or bano rice.
Dry red wines are best for this recipe. I recommend cabernet sauvignon, merlot, Chianti, Zinfandel, Barolo, Montepulciano, or other full-flavored wines.
Leftover risotto keeps covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. For best reheating results, reheat it in the microwave at 60-70% power for 1-minute increments for every serving you are reheating, stirring the risotto between increments.
This risotto can keep frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
Pro-tip: salt brings out all the flavors of this dish but we still don't want it salt. To achieve the best result, season the dish initially with just ¼ teaspoon salt. Taste the risotto and if it tastes bland, mix in more salt by the ⅛ teaspoon until the risotto is flavorful.