Baked risotto

These last two posts are a bit back-to-front, but there you have it.

Taking into consideration the fact I now – as of the weekend – can not stand for too long before I start getting some pretty impressive low abdomen period-like pains, I’m looking for dinners that require minimum effort for maximum reward.

Then in today’s Good Living, Bill Granger did a few risotto recipes. It got me thinking, that I love risotto and haven’t made it in ages. The sole reason for that reality is that Felix doesn’t like it – one of those weird things where he doesn’t like any dish where everything is mixed together – think casseroles, soups, risottos. I know. W.E.I.R.D.

Anyway, one of his recipes was for a baked risotto, which got me thinking even further (yup, let’s pick the chick essentially on bedrest with early signs of labour, two ear infections and enough phlegm to fill a shot glass in one cough) about a baked risotto I used to cook, until the last time when it mysteriously didn’t work and I ended up with a weird glug of crunchy rice and half-cooked cubes of pumpkin. Ble…

So – I noticed in his intro he said that one of his family favourites was to do the baked risotto with some sausages thrown in. Perfect.

 

 

 

 

 

Bill – and Kim’s – baked tomato risotto with pecorino (or in this case, parmesan)

  • 2 tblsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 small bulb fennel, finely chopped
  • 3 fat pork and fennel sausages, chopped into pieces
  • 1 cup aborio rice
  • 1.5cups water
  • 400g can chopped tomatoes
  • 60g freshly grated pecorino chees
  • freshly ground black pepper
  1. Preheat oven to 200C and heat the oil in a 3 litre ovenproof dish (with a lid) over medium heat
  2. add onion, fennel and sausages and cook for 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent
  3. add the rice, cook for a minute or so
  4. add the water, then the tomatoes and bring to a simmer (I added some chopped parsley and fennel fronds at this stage as well)
  5. sprinkle over the pecorino (or parmesan) and black pepper, put the lid on and cook for 30 minutes.

 

I foiled Felix and called it “sausages with rice” – he thought it was delicious. Mwahahahahahah.

 

I also love doing a completely vegetarian version – with diced pumpkin or sweet potato instead of the sausage. Also – mix it up with herbs – sage, rosemary and tarragon are my faves.