This Sausage Mushroom Risotto recipe is such a decadent date night dinner! It’s surprisingly easy and will impress all your guests.
Sausage Mushroom Risotto
If you’re like me, risotto always sounded like a dish that was really intimidating to make. Once you try it though, you won’t go back!
It takes a little time and patience, sure, but the result is a comforting and delicious dish you’ll make again and again.
Sausage and Mushroom Risotto is one of my favorite dishes to make when we’re celebrating something or just want to treat ourselves on a cold winter night!
If you’re looking for a spring or summer version of risotto, try out this Spinach Risotto.
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What is risotto?
Risotto can be considered two things! Most commonly, risotto is known as a delicious creamy and decadent rice dish from Italy.
Risotto is also a main cooking method of rice meaning that other types of rice can be made in a “risotto-style.”
What kind of rice is used?
Arborio rice is what you’ll want to use for this sausage mushroom risotto. It’s a little thicker of a grain and is traditionally used for risotto.
It’s a short grain rice variety that is named after the region in Italy that it comes from.
What kind of stock is used for risotto?
Use a stock that is similar in profile to the protein that you’re going to be cooking the risotto with.
I tend to stick to chicken or vegetable stock to keep the risotto nice and light while still giving the risotto a ton of flavor. Beef stock would give a deeper flavor and would also pair well with this dish!
You could even make your own to pair with the dish! A stock made of mushrooms and vegetables would be perfect if you’ve got the time.
Is there any cream in mushroom risotto?
There isn’t! No cream is used in traditional risotto. The arborio rice contains enough starch that is cooked slowly enough that it releases to help with that creamy texture.
Cream, of course, can be added! It’s more for flavor that it is for texture. When you learn how to cook risotto correctly, it really isn’t needed! There are a ton of great tidbits in that guide if you’re looking to make a very traditional risotto.
What meat goes with mushroom risotto?
The sausage in the recipe pairs really well with the risotto with the Italian herbs and spices that are in it.
Another option is serving the mushroom risotto with a different protein altogether like this Cast Iron Filet Mignon or Easy Baked Chicken Breast.
What can I use instead of wine in risotto?
If you don’t have any wine on hand or aren’t an alcohol drinker, you do have a few options to substitute the wine in risotto for.
Using a little extra of the chicken broth to help deglaze the pan is a good option since you already have that on hand.
You could also squeeze in a bit of lemon juice at this point to help add a little brightness and acidity to the dish too.
White wine vinegar would be a good option here too, but only 1 or 2 tablespoons since it is so potent and the risotto will pick up on those flavors.
Looking for other decadent dinner ideas? Try one of these:
Sausage Mushroom Risotto
This Sausage Mushroom Risotto recipe is such a decadent date night dinner! It's surprisingly easy and will impress all your guests.
Ingredients
For Sausages:
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 4-5 mild Italian sausages
For Mushroom Risotto
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 8 oz. sliced baby bella mushrooms
- 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more to top
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. pepper
- 1 and ½ cups arborio rice
- ⅔ cups white wine
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add in sausages and let brown on all sides. Once browned, put on cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through. Set aside until risotto is complete.
- Heat chicken stock in a saucepan over low heat.
- Using the same large skillet as the sausages, add in the butter and let melt. Once melted, add in the diced onion and minced garlic. Stir until it's aromatic, 1-2 minutes. Add in the mushrooms and stir until the mushrooms are fork tender, 5-7 minutes.
- Add in the thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper, and rice to the pan. Stir so the rice is coated and everything is incorporated. Once the rice looks glossy, you'll want to add in the white wine ensuring to scrape the bottom of the pan. Let reduce by half.
- One ladle full at a time, add in the warm chicken stock to the rice mixture. Stir until it's combined then repeat until the chicken stock has been fully incorporated. This will take 15-20 minutes. You'll know it's done if you take a spoon through the rice and it slowly fills the gap that was left.
- Stir in the parmesan cheese. Remove thyme and rosemary stems. Cut the sausages into slices and add those into the risotto. Top with extra thyme and grated parmesan cheese. Serve warm.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 634Total Fat: 41gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 27gCholesterol: 87mgSodium: 1896mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 2gSugar: 8gProtein: 30g
Nutrition provided is only an estimate.
