The SAUSAGE AND ZUCCHINI RISOTTO is the perfect first course to prepare in the warm season, when zucchinis are full of flavor and you may be looking for a dish that can even work as a one-course meal—fresh yet nourishing. It’s a simple risotto to prepare, as you can see, but at the same time very tasty and well balanced, often surprising our guests with how good it is.
The risotto with sausage and zucchini combines the bold flavor of the sausage, the delicacy and freshness of the zucchini, and the creaminess of the rice, which makes the dish well blended and pleasant both in taste and texture. As always with simple dishes, choose good ingredients—especially sausages that are not too fatty and a good Italian risotto rice (for these dishes I prefer Carnaroli). Other than that, relax: the recipe is straightforward and success is guaranteed!
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Rest time: 15 Minutes
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients
- 1.75 cups Carnaroli rice
- 3 sausages
- 2 zucchini
- 4 1/4 cups vegetable broth
- Half onion
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- Half glass white wine
- 3.5 tbsp butter (best if frozen)
- 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese
Tools
- 2 Pots
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Wooden spoon
Steps
To prepare the SAUSAGE AND ZUCCHINI RISOTTO, start by grating the zucchini into thin strips. Place them in a bowl and salt them. This process will allow the zucchini to release all their water. Set aside.
Prepare the risotto base by gently sweating the finely chopped onion in a drizzle of oil over low heat until softened. Add the crumbled sausage and cook until nicely browned.
Then add the rice, season lightly with salt, and let it toast, stirring continuously so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Touch the grains with your hand and when they feel hot, deglaze with the white wine. Once evaporated, add a few ladles of hot vegetable broth and mix well.
Continue cooking, stirring and adding the remaining broth little by little.
About 5 minutes before the rice is done, lower the heat and add the well‑squeezed zucchini.
With the heat off, add the very cold butter (better if frozen) and the Parmesan, and cream the risotto. Then cover and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
