Best Italian Sausage Risotto Recipe
Creamy Italian sausage risotto with browned sausage and earthy cremini folded into Parmesan arborio rice, finished with a peppery drizzle of high-phenolic olive oil. Built on olive oil rather than a heavy butter base, it is one-pan comfort food that still sits comfortably on the Mediterranean table.
Recipe Success Tips
Brown the sausage properly
Break the sausage into craggy, uneven pieces and let them sit undisturbed for a minute before stirring. Real browning, not just gray cooked meat, is what gives the whole pot its savory, roasted flavor.
Keep the broth hot
Add warm broth to warm rice so the pot never stops simmering. Cold broth shocks the rice and stretches your cooking time by ten minutes.
Add the broth in stages
Ladle in the broth one addition at a time and stir until it is nearly absorbed before the next. That steady friction is what pulls the starch out of the arborio and gives you the creamy body risotto is known for.
Taste your finishing oil
Spoon a little Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil on its own before you drizzle. That peppery catch at the back of the throat is the sign of a fresh, high-polyphenol oil, and it is exactly the note you want against the rich sausage and cheese.
Loosen it right before serving
Risotto firms up fast. Stir in a splash of hot broth just before it goes to the table so it spreads across the plate in a soft wave rather than a mound.
Ingredients
4
servings
- 3 tbsp High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
- 8 oz Cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
- 5 cups Chicken broth, kept hot
- 1/2 cup Dry white wine
- 1 medium Yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves Garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp Fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 2 tbsp Unsalted butter
- to taste Kosher salt and black pepper
Kitchen Tools You'll Need
Wide, heavy-bottomed saute pan or Dutch oven
Small saucepan for the broth
Wooden spoon
Ladle
Box grater or microplane
Sharp knife and cutting board
How to Cook Best Italian Sausage Risotto Recipe
Brown the sausage
1
Warm 2 tablespoons of the High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a wide, heavy pan over medium-high heat until it shimmers. The oil is smooth and balanced, so it carries the sausage flavor without competing with it.
2
Add the sausage, breaking it into craggy, bite-size pieces. Cook until deeply browned, about 5 to 6 minutes, then move it to a plate and leave the rendered flavor in the pan.
3
Add the mushrooms to the same pan and cook until golden and their moisture has cooked off, about 5 minutes. Move them to the plate with the sausage.
Build the base
4
Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon of High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil along with the onion. Sweat until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes, scraping up the browned bits as it cooks.
5
Stir in the garlic and rosemary and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
6
Add the arborio rice and stir for about 2 minutes, until the grains look glossy and the edges turn slightly translucent.
Cook the risotto
7
Pour in the white wine and stir until it is almost fully absorbed.
8
Add the hot broth one ladle at a time, stirring often and waiting until each addition is nearly absorbed before adding the next. Keep the pot at a steady low simmer.
9
Continue for 18 to 22 minutes, until the rice is creamy and al dente with a little bite at the center.
10
Fold the browned sausage and mushrooms back in for the last few minutes so they warm through and the flavors settle together.
Finish
11
Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the butter and Parmesan until the risotto turns glossy and loose. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper, keeping in mind the sausage already carries salt.
12
Spoon into warm bowls and finish each serving with a raw drizzle of Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Off the heat, its peppery, grassy edge stays bright and cuts cleanly through the rich sausage and cheese.
13
Serve right away, with an extra shower of Parmesan if you like.
Recipe Notes
Sweet Italian sausage keeps this family-friendly, while hot Italian sausage adds a gentle kick. Fennel-forward sausage is especially good here. If you would rather start from a plain base and season it yourself, follow our step-by-step risotto method and stir in the cooked sausage at the end.
Leaning into the mushrooms takes this toward a wild mushroom risotto, and stirring a spoonful of tomato paste in with the aromatics nudges it toward the deeper, brighter profile of our tomato risotto. A handful of spinach wilted in at the finish is a good way to work in some greens.
The smooth High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil does the cooking, and the bolder Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil goes in raw at the finish. If you only keep one bottle, the High Phenolic works for both, though the peppery lift of a raw drizzle is worth the second bottle.
Risotto is best fresh, but leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently with a splash of broth to bring back the creamy texture, and add a fresh drizzle of finishing oil once it is warm.
Nutrition Facts per Serving
Nutrition Facts
Serving size 1 bowl (about 1 1/2 cups)
Calories
640
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 34g44%
Saturated Fat 11g55%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 70mg23%
Sodium 920mg40%
Total Carbohydrate 58g21%
Dietary Fiber 2g7%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 23g46%
Iron 2.5mg14%
Calcium 200mg15%
Potassium 540mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Arborio is the classic choice. It is a short-grain rice with a high starch content, and that starch is what gives sausage risotto its creamy body once you stir in the broth a little at a time. Carnaroli works beautifully too if you can find it.
Italian sausage is the traditional pick. Sweet Italian keeps it mild and family-friendly, hot Italian adds a little heat, and a fennel-forward sausage brings a lovely anise note. Remove the casings so the meat browns in loose, craggy pieces.
Not constantly, but often. Frequent stirring pulls the starch out of the rice and keeps the grains cooking evenly. Add the broth one ladle at a time and stir until it is nearly absorbed before the next addition.
Yes. The wine adds brightness, but you can leave it out and use an equal splash of extra broth with a small squeeze of lemon at the end to keep that lift.
A raw drizzle of high-phenolic olive oil at the end adds a fresh, peppery note that cuts through the rich sausage and cheese. Because the oil goes in off the heat, its bright, grassy character stays vivid right up to the first bite.
Use a smooth, balanced extra virgin olive oil for browning the sausage and building the base, then save a bolder, more peppery oil for the finishing drizzle. The cooking oil should support the dish, while the finishing oil is meant to stand out.
It can be a satisfying part of a balanced meal. It gives you protein from the sausage, some fiber and depth from the mushrooms, and slow energy from the rice, and building it on extra virgin olive oil rather than a heavy butter base fits the Mediterranean way of eating. Serve it with a green salad to round out the plate.
Made as written it can be, since arborio rice contains no gluten. Check that your sausage and broth are both labeled gluten-free, as some brands use wheat-based fillers or additives.
Risotto is best served fresh, but you can get ahead by browning the sausage and mushrooms and prepping the aromatics in advance. Leftovers keep for up to 3 days and reheat well with a splash of broth to loosen them.
A crisp green salad or a plate of roasted greens balances the richness, and a glass of white or light red wine is a natural match. Keep the sides simple so the risotto stays the center of the plate.
