This is risotto in spirit, not doctrine. You add the broth all at once, stir occasionally, and let the sausage fat and rice starch do the work. The result is rich, savory, and comforting without requiring constant attention.
Snapshot
- Implements: large saucepan or shallow pot; wooden spoon or spatula
- Stove setting: medium-high for browning, then medium-low simmer
- Batch size: about 4 generous bowls
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp salted butter, divided
- 1 lb Italian sausage (sweet preferred; hot optional), casings removed
- 1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed
- Pinch of saffron threads
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
- Freshly ground black pepper
Method
Brown the sausage
Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and break it up. Cook until well browned and no longer pink.
Soften the onion
Add the remaining 2 Tbsp butter and the onion. Cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent and soft, about 4 minutes.
Toast the rice
Stir in the rice and cook for about 1 minute, just until the grains are coated and slightly translucent at the edges.
Deglaze
Add the wine and cook until it has mostly evaporated.
Simmer
Add the broth and saffron. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender but still has a little bite and the texture is loose and creamy, 18 to 22 minutes. If the pan tightens up before the rice is done, add more broth a splash at a time.
Finish
Remove from heat. Stir in Parmesan and parsley. Taste before seasoning. Add salt only if needed and plenty of black pepper.
Notes, swaps, and guardrails
Why this works
This uses a one-pour broth method instead of classic risotto technique. Occasional stirring releases enough starch, while sausage fat provides richness and body. You get a creamy result without constant attention.
Sausage choice
Sweet Italian sausage keeps this rich and savory without heat. Hot sausage works, but it shifts the dish quickly toward spicy.
Optional vegetable add-ins
This dish takes well to vegetables folded in at the end. Treat them as extras, not structural ingredients.
Roasted vegetables
Good options:
- Roasted broccoli or broccolini
- Roasted cauliflower
- Roasted winter squash (butternut, delicata, kabocha)
- Roasted mushrooms
- Roasted asparagus
- Leftover roasted vegetables from another meal
How to add them:
- Roast vegetables separately until well browned and fully tender.
- Fold them in at the very end with the Parmesan and parsley.
- Add a small splash of broth if needed to loosen the texture.
Frozen peas
Frozen peas are an excellent late addition and do not need to be thawed first.
- Stir in ½ to 1 cup frozen peas during the last 1 to 2 minutes of cooking, just until heated through.
- Do not add them earlier or they will go dull and mushy.
Keep it restrained:
- About 1 to 2 cups total vegetables is plenty.
- Do not add raw vegetables to the rice.
- Do not roast vegetables in the same pan as the rice.
The dish should remain sausage-forward. Vegetables are there to use things up, not to turn this into a different recipe.
Texture check
The finished dish should be spoonable and loose, not stiff. It will continue to thicken as it sits, so err slightly on the looser side at the stove.
- Do not let the pan cook dry.
- Do not add all extra broth at once. Small splashes only, as needed.
Credit where it’s due
Adapted from a Bon Appétit recipe, rewritten and clarified to reflect how it is actually cooked at home.