Why you’ll love this Italian sausage risotto

Risotto was one of the first things I fixated on when I was learning to cook (all those years ago). I’ve tried many variations, including my magic vegan risotto and my chicken and chorizo risotto.

But, this is one of my favorites. It’s a comforting, one-pot meal and a delicious alternative to pasta, which means it’s a great gluten free option (just make sure you use gluten free stock).

Close up of Italian sausage risotto in a bowl with a fork.

Here’s what you’ll need to make it

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Ingredients & substitutions

  • Arborio rice – This is the type of rice that is traditionally used for risotto. It is a short grain rice that releases lots of creamy starches when cooked with the risotto method (lots of stirring).
  • Italian sausage – You can use any type of Italian sausage for this recipe (mild, spicy or sweet). I prefer to use sweet because I love the extra pop of fennel.
  • Nutritional yeast – This is a dairy free alternative to parmesan cheese and adds a beautiful depth of flavor to the risotto. You can find this in the organic aisle of your grocery store. If you’re not dairy free, feel free to use double the amount listed of your favorite grated cheese.
  • White wine – You want to use a dry white wine for this to keep the flavor on track, but if you’re avoiding alcohol, feel free to replace this with additional chicken stock or even simply water.

Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.

Close up of italian sausage risotto in a skillet.

How to make this sausage risotto

Brown the sausage. Start by sautéing the sausage, breaking it up as it cooks into small pieces. Let it get nice and golden brown, and as this happens, the fat from the sausage will rendering giving you lots of oil to cook the onion in.

Next, add the onion and garlic. Allow it to cook until it’s soft and transparent. Stir occasionally to prevent the garlic from burning.

Deglaze the pan. Pour in the white wine and use it to deglaze the pan, scrapping up all the bits of browned sausage that have stuck to the pan. Then, stir in the rice and allow it to absorb the liquid.

Cook the rice. Once the liquid has absorbed, add about 1/2 cup of chicken stock to the pan and allow it to simmer until absorbed. Stir as needed to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Repeat this process until all the chicken stock and water has absorbed.

Then, stir in the tomatoes, spices and nutritional yeast. Simmer until everything is absorbed and the rice is creamy and tender.

A bowl of italian tomato rice with meat.

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More dairy free sausage recipe you should try

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Italian Sausage Risotto

By: Melissa Belanger
This sausage risotto is filled with sweet Italian sausage, flavorful tomatoes and arborio rice cooked until creamy. It’s comfort food at its best – simple, hearty, and delicious – making it the perfect indulgence for a dreary, winter day.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6
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Ingredients 

  • 1 pound sausage
  • 1/2 large onion
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 2 cups arborio rice
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 15- ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes with juice
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, optional
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Instructions 

  • Heat a skillet to medium-high. Add sausage and cook until golden brown, breaking into piece as it cooks.
  • Add the onion to the pan and sauté until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir as need to prevent burning or sticking.
  • Deglaze the pan with white wine, scraping up any bits of sausage that have stuck to the pan.
  • Add the rice and allow it to absorb the liquid in the pan.
  • Cook the rice by adding 1/2 cup increments of chicken stock and water, allowing it to simmer until the liquid has been absorbed. Repeat until all the broth has been absorbed.
  • Stir in the water, tomatoes, spices and nutritional yeast. Continue to simmer, stirring as needed, until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice has cooked through.

Nutrition

Calories: 565kcal, Carbohydrates: 65g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 23g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 59mg, Sodium: 768mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin C: 10mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Hi! I'm Melissa.

I create easy, dairy free recipes because I know how hard living without milk can be. I believe you can live a completely satisfying life without dairy, and I want to teach you how.

Read more about me

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1 Comment

  1. Jen says:

    Made this tonight..my whole family loved it! Saving to make again.

    Reply