Tomato and sausage risotto

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 Serves 2


  • 440 grams tomato passata (pureed tomatoes) or crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (plus extra for pan-frying)
  • ½ small brown or white onion
  • 2 good-quality pork and fennel sausages
  • 160 grams carnaroli, vialone nano or arborio rice
  • 60 millilitres dry white wine
  • 4 - 6 pieces of Parmesan rind (optional)
  • 50 grams butter
  • 50 grams grated Parmesan (plus extra to serve)

  1. Pour the passata into a saucepan and stir in 250ml (1 cup) of water. Allow to slowly come to the boil. You will be using this as the stock for your risotto
  2. Warm the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and saute over medium–low heat for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent. Don’t let it turn brown.
  3. While the onion is cooking, pan-fry the sausages. Cut them into chunks and place in a small frying pan with a splash of olive oil. Cook over medium heat, turning occasionally so the sausage pieces cook evenly. Fry for about 8 minutes in total; it doesn’t matter if they aren’t completely cooked through as they’ll continue to cook in the risotto.
  4. Back to the risotto. Once the onion has been sauteed, add the rice and toast for a few minutes, until it takes on a slightly golden hue. Increase the heat and add the wine, stirring with a wooden spoon so the rice doesn’t stick or burn. Once that has evaporated, add a ladleful of the hot passata stock and reduce the heat to medium–low.
  5. Toss in the parmesan rinds, if using. Allow to slowly bubble away, stirring every minute or so, so that the rice doesn’t stick to the base and cooks evenly, adding more passata stock as the previous lot is absorbed.
  6. Once the sausages are done, toss them into the risotto too.
  7. The rice will take about 14–18 minutes in total to cook, depending on the type you use (arborio takes less time). Texture is the best indicator for determining when it is ready, so make sure you taste it — the rice should feel slightly firm when you bite into it, and be not quite cooked.
  8. Season with salt to taste and add a good grinding of black pepper.
  9. Remove from the heat; the rice will continue to cook. Add the butter, stir well and cover. After a minute, add the parmesan, stir well and cover.
  10. Serve after a couple of minutes, with extra parmesan.