This morning the parking garage attendant near my office was in a particularly foul mood, and I couldn’t blame him. The warm sunshine from Saturday had vanished and a cold, steady rain made the morning feel heavy and gloomy. While people hurried into warm offices and friendly coworkers, he sat alone in his little booth—only interrupted when he stepped out into the rain to sort out a permit problem. On top of everything, it was Monday. I wished I had a big pan of this hearty sausage and kale risotto to bring him. Its stick-to-your-ribs warmth would have brightened anyone’s day. I could have used a bowl myself.
I have a long list of risotto recipes—more than two dozen variations over the years—and I’ve always maintained that while traditional risotto requires about half an hour of almost constant stirring, it’s not difficult to make. Most of the time I enjoy standing at the stove and coaxing the rice into a creamy porridge. But sometimes I don’t feel like stirring the whole time.
I first heard about baked risotto a few years ago but didn’t try it right away—partly because I genuinely like stirring risotto; it makes me feel like I’m earning my keep in the kitchen. Last week, after an especially long day at work in very cute but extremely uncomfortable shoes, standing over the stove was the last thing I wanted to do. I transferred the pot from the stovetop to the oven and briefly imagined a thousand Italian grandmothers turning over in their graves.
Surprisingly, it worked very well. It wasn’t quite as silky as a risotto finished entirely on the stove, but honestly I doubt I would have noticed if someone else had served it to me. The idea of having sausage both mixed into the risotto and served on top is pure comfort-food genius—definitely a contender for “spouse of the year.” Best of all, it basically cooked itself while I relaxed and took my shoes off.
Baked Risotto with Sausage and Kale
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Ingredients
- 1 pound reduced fat Italian sausage about 6 links
- 1 small onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¾ cup Arborio rice
- ½ cup white wine
- 2-1/2 cups chicken stock warmed
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 cups chopped kale
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 425°F. Remove the casing from two sausage links and crumble the meat into an oven-safe skillet or enameled Dutch oven set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is browned. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Stir in the Arborio rice and cook for about 1 minute, until the grains are mostly translucent with a small white center.
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Pour in the white wine and cook until it has evaporated. Add warmed chicken stock and bring the mixture to a boil on the stovetop. Cover the skillet and transfer it to the preheated oven. Bake for 20 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from the oven, stir in the grated Parmesan and chopped kale—the residual heat will wilt the greens—then return to the oven and bake an additional 10 minutes.
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While the risotto bakes, cook the remaining sausage links. Sear them over high heat until the casings are deeply browned and blistered, then transfer them to the oven to finish cooking through. Serve whole sausages alongside or sliced over the risotto. Season with salt and pepper to taste.