Italy

Risotto Parmigiana Style with Italian Sausage

Academia Barilla’s Chefs share a traditional dish from Emilia-Romagna: al dente and creamy Risotto with the best ingredients of Italy’s Food Valley.

  • Time

    26 minutes

  • Difficulty

    Easy

  • Course

    First Courses

  • Italian Region

    Emilia-Romagna

Ingredients

Servings 4

Preparation

10 minutes preparation + 16 minutes cooking

Bring broth to simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to low; cover to keep warm.

In a heavy bottom pan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat.
Add onions and sauté until tender, about 6 minutes.
Add rice and sausage; stir about 1-2 minutes.

Add wine and stir until evaporated, about 1 minute. Add 1 ½ cup hot broth; simmer until absorbed, stirring frequently.

Add the remaining broth ½ cup at a time, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently until rice is creamy and “al dente”, about 25 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and remaining butter.
Season risotto with salt and pepper.

Transfer to single serving bowls and serve.

Chef's Tips

Italian Risotto cannot be successfully made with just any rice. First you have to choose a high-quality rice, rich in starch but firm when cooked.

Best choice is Italian Superfino rice, and Carnaroli rice. First, the rice needs to be toasted at a medium-high temperature, heating the outer coat to ensure it remains “al dente”.

The rice is toasted as soon as it begins to stick to the pan. In Italy they say that the rice must “sing”.

You should add only boiling broth. Stir constantly to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Food history

Carnaroli is a high-quality Italian rice, the chef's choice to make a perfect risotto dish. It is very rich in starch - "amylose" - thus absorbing more liquid than other varieties. When cooked, its grains remain separate and creamy allowing a perfect balance of textures – a tender but al dente texture.