Asparagus and sausage risotto is a great classic of the cuisine of this period. In fact, this is the time of tender spring shoots, a gift of nature that we manage to savor just for a couple of months a year.
Some time ago I told you about my little trip to Badoere to discover the springs of the Sile river and their delicious asparagus and, on that occasion, I had prepared a delicious risotto with white and green asparagus. Usually here on the blog pages I don’t repeat myself, but I love asparagus and I decided that this had to be my choice for this month’s Club of 27.
The book we are talking about this month is “Extra Virgin: Recipes and love from our Tuscan kitchen” by Debi Mazar and Gabriele Corcos, a book that deals with Italian recipes seen from the perspective of a foreigner. Gabriele, Debi’s husband, is truly Italian, a true Tuscan, born in Florence and lived in Fiesole.
Gabriele is a traditional Italian with a big heart, while Debi is a lively and spirited girl from New York. Their sparkling and playful exchanges highlight what is important in everyday life: good food and lots of love.
Ranging from traditional appetizers and soups to their reinterpretations of main dishes, pizzas, and desserts, the recipes include: pecorino cream and honey, a sweet and savory way to start a meal, grilled apricots with goat ricotta, inspired by the wild Tuscan apricot trees, and sausage and beans, with a delicate hint of fennel in a Tuscan red sauce. There are also braised artichokes softened in guanciale-infused oil, breakfast pizza, and coffee granita just like the Italians make it.
Among all the recipes, I chose their asparagus and sausage risotto, prepared in a very particular way, and the result was very pleasant. You can find the other recipes from the book in the article on MTChallenge site.
If, like me, you are a risotto lover, you will surely enjoy these recipes:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring
- Energy 954.27 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 119.16 (g) of which sugars 6.13 (g)
- Proteins 30.73 (g)
- Fat 33.73 (g) of which saturated 3.90 (g)of which unsaturated 1.97 (g)
- Fibers 4.99 (g)
- Sodium 1,993.73 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 400 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for asparagus and sausage risotto
- 2 cups Carnaroli rice
- 8.8 oz sausage
- 1 bunch asparagus
- 1/2 white onion
- 4.2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 glass dry white wine
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste Parmigiano Reggiano DOP (grated)
Tools
- High-sided saucepan
- Ladle
Preparation of asparagus and sausage risotto
Chop the onion finely. Once ready, put it in the saucepan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Turn on the heat and let the onion stew.
Meanwhile, bring the vegetable broth to a boil, lower the heat to keep it warm.
Crumble the sausage with a fork and add it to the onion. Brown well, then add the rice. Toast well, stirring continuously, and once it becomes shiny, add the white wine and let it evaporate.
Start adding one ladle of broth at a time.
Wash and dry the asparagus, cut off the woody lower part which you will eventually use for a soup.
Cut the tips and set them aside and cut the stems of the asparagus into slices about a quarter of an inch thick.
Add more broth to the risotto along with the asparagus slices, continuing to cook the risotto. When about five minutes are left, you can add the asparagus tips.
Finish cooking, always keeping the risotto creamy with the broth.
Once cooking is finished, turn off the heat, add the grated Parmigiano Reggiano and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and mix well.
Serve the risotto on individual plates.
