An easy cauliflower and Sausage risotto

It was only the other day, that I had realised that I hadn’t touched a bowl of pasta for over a week. Instead, I had been enjoying a different number of bowls of risotto. There is something really comforting about a creamy bowl of Italian rice and it’s versatility means that you can enjoy it with so many different ingredients and recipes. This week I wanted to share with you my super easy cauliflower and sausage risotto.

This recipe is inspired by northern Italian cooking. Venetian to be precise. I learnt this dish years ago and it’s a winter favourite when cauliflower is in its seasonal prime. I also got sent some sausage mince from Salsicciamo, who specialise in amazing Italian sausages and sausage based products. I have to say, the combination of these two ingredients are fantastic and wondered why I haven’t cooked this magical combo more often.

Risotto is one of those dishes that can feel quite daunting to cook. It’s a dish you may only enjoy when out for dinner (whenever that maybe next). However, let me tell you that it’s not that difficult at all. It’s a total myth. All it needs is a little time, attention and love and you can’t go wrong. If you would like to read more on how to perfect a risotto, read my post here.

I hope some of you try this amazing comforting winter recipe. It won’t disappoint.

Enjoy my bambinos!

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Ingredients

• 1 cauliflower, trimmed and cut into small florets

• Olive oil

• 1 tsp dry thyme

• 250g sausage meat

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 200g risotto

• 100ml white wine

• 800ml vegetable stock

• 30g parmesan, grated

• Fresh parsley

• Sea Salt

• Black Pepper

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Directions

• Bring a large pan of water to the boil, season with salt and parboil the cauliflower florets for 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.
• In a large frying pan, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add the cauliflower with the thyme and fry for 3-4 minutes until slightly browned. Remove from the pan.
• Now add and fry the sausage meat for 4-5 minutes on a low/medium heat until browned. Remove from the pan.
• If the frying pan looks dry, add another tbsp of olive oil. Add the onions, a pinch of salt and softly fry on a low heat until translucent.
• Add the rice and make sure its well coated in the onion and oil. Turn the heat to medium and toast the risotto for a few minutes
• Season with salt.
• Pour in the white wine, stir and wait until the alcohol has evaporated and the wine absorbed.
• Now gradually add the stock, a ladleful at a time, while stirring your risotto continually. Make sure you add your next ladle of stock when all the previous stock has been absorbed.
• When you pour in your last ladle of stock, add back the cauliflower, sausage meat and parmesan and give it a good stir until the ingredients have warmed through.
• Taste and season if needed. Serve immediately with fresh parsley on top.

1. It’s important to season you cooking water with plenty of salt, to ensure the vegetables are seasoned properly and tasty.
2. Cook your cauliflower on a low/medium heat to get that slight caramelisation on the outside.
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4. The salt will help draw out the excess bitter water in the onion, creating a sweeter flavour base.
5. You will know when the risotto rice has toasted when the outer layer of the risotto rice grain becomes translucent.
6. Seasoning the salt at this point rather than at the end gives the salt time to infuse the hard grain during cooking.
7. Wine is always a great flavour addition to a risotto before finishing it off with stock.
8. Make sure the stock is hot and simmering rather than room temperature. It will cool down the cooking process.
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Find out how to master the art of risotto with these top tips.

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