Sausage Asparagus and Mushroom Risotto

I was 35 weeks pregnant with my third when we moved hours from the town that had been our home for years. All my friends were still in Provo and I missed them terribly. I was so pregnant and tired which meant I didn’t want to get out tons. My husband had just started a new job which meant he was working tons. I’ve never been a TV-watcher, but in the weeks after the move, before the baby came, I found myself watching Hell’s Kitchen on Hulu. It’s a typical reality show with lots of drama, swearing, and tears but with cooking mixed in; not my normal cup of tea but I watched it nonetheless. On that show they cook risotto all of the time and normally they mess it up. I’ll be honest, I didn’t even know what risotto was, but the show introduced it to me and made me curious. After some research I decided it was something I would love – I was right.

Risotto is delicious. If you’ve never made it I think you should try it. Rice is sauteed in butter and garlic and then stock is added and the rice is stirred while cooking. The starch in the rice comes out of the grain and combines with the stock to make a thick and creamy sauce. There are lots of varieties and things that you can add. This recipe is wonderfully hearty and rich. I served it as a main dish but it would also be a delicious side.

Am I the only one who didn’t know what risotto was? If you’ve had it, how were you introduced to it? Have you made it? Happy cooking!

In a medium sauce pan bring the chicken stock and fresh herbs to a low simmer. While the stock is heating add the olive oil to a medium stock 
pot and heat over medium to medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the sausage to the onion and cook until no longer pink, breaking the sausage into pieces with a spoon. When the sausage is cooked through reduce the heat to medium and add the mushrooms and rice. Cook until the rice starts to get translucent on the edges, 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Notes:
The stirring process takes some time and you can’t really walk away from the dish at this point. Plan accordingly.
The amount of liquid you will use and the cook time will vary depending on the weather and your rice, just test the done-ness of the rice along the way.