Combine your love of Italian meat sauce and risotto with this Roasted Tomato and Sausage Risotto recipe! A creamy, tomato flavored rice with cheese, roasted garlic, and Italian sausage.
Table of Contents
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Risotto is one of my all-time favorite foods! When I find risotto on a menu, I know I have to get it.
This classic Italian rice dish is a bed of creamy rice, but without any cream added. The creamy texture is the result of the cooking process!
Creamy risotto is an amazing comfort food perfect for cold weather and when you want something hearty. It can be served up either as a main dish or a side dish.
You can bring the joys of risotto home with this Sausage, Tomato, and Roasted Garlic Parmesan Risotto. You will also love our Creamy Mushroom Risotto!
Ingredients
These are the ingredients you need for this sausage risotto recipe:
Arborio Rice – a specific type of rice used to make traditional risotto! A short grain rice that gives off a lot of starch when it is stirred, which is what makes risotto creamy.
Italian Sausage
Cherry Tomatoes – or grape tomatoes. I prefer fresh tomatoes but you can use diced tomatoes as well. Just be sure to drain them first so the excess moisture does not affect the risotto consistency. Too much liquid would be bad! Alternatively you could add the tomatoes with their juice while you are still cooking the rice for the tomato juice to be absorbed into the rice properly.
Tomato Paste – gives us concentrated tomato flavor without too much moisture
Roasted Garlic
Garlic Powder
Butter
Red Onion
Parmesan Cheese
White Wine – use a dry white wine that you like to drink, such as a sauvignon blanc or chardonnay.
Chicken Stock – or vegetable stock
Salt
Black Pepper
Equipment
This is the equipment you need to make this delicious sausage risotto:
Measuring Cups
Measuring Spoons
Cutting Board
Knife
Large Pot
Small Pot
Large Skillet – for cooking the tomatoes and sausage, or you can cook these elements in the large pot first before starting the rice.
Cooking Spoon – use a study spoon like a wooden spoon or firm silicone. As it cooks and gets thicker, you will need that strength.
Instruction Overview
First over medium heat melt some butter in a large pot or Dutch oven and cook the onion until translucent, 1-2 minutes.
Also have a small saucepan with the stock on the stove. Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce to medium-low heat to keep it warm.
Then toast the arborio rice in the bottom of the pan to get a little browning.
Add the wine and cook until reduced but not all gone.
Slowly add a little stock at a time, while constantly stirring. When it is almost absorbed, add a little more stock and repeat.
Some people say that they do not notice a difference if they stir or not, and just let the rice sit there and cook in all of the liquid at once. But I DO notice a difference.
The stirring and gradually adding of the liquid definitely makes the risotto creamy.
Grab a glass of wine or a friend and hang out with your risotto for a bit, stirring as it cooks.
Yes, you can go back and forth to the pot stirring every few minutes, but the best ever risotto I made was when I was constantly stirring.
While the rice is cooking, in a large skillet I cook the sausage until browned. Then in the same skillet, add the tomatoes with a Tablespoon butter and cook until blistering. Set it all aside.
Once you get the creamy consistency that you want, like an al dente rice, add the remaining butter along with the cheese, roasted garlic, and tomato paste.
Season the creamy risotto to taste as desired.
Cut the sausage into smaller pieces. Combine tomatoes and sliced sausage into the risotto and stir together.
Modifications and Substitutions
You could also swap the sausage for chicken!
Pecorino Romano is always a great swap for Parmesan cheese.
Kim’s Tips
The quality of Parmesan in this Sausage, Tomato, and Roasted Garlic Parmesan Risotto is extremely important.
The cheese is a primary flavor and so you want to use ingredients that taste good as it will just make the dish better. If you use the pre-ground, cheese in a can stuff, it will not taste as good. You get out of it what you put into it!
Making risotto was always somewhat intimidating to me. I would hear about how difficult it is to cook. Lots of stirring and the gradual adding of liquid sounded complicated so I avoided it for a long time.
But it is really not that difficult, it just takes a little time and attention with the stirring.
Just get comfortable, grab a glass of wine, and settle in for some one-on-one personal time with your risotto. You can do it, too! It is definitely worth the effort and this Roasted Tomato and Sausage Risotto will likely become a family favorite!
FAQs
What is the secret to a good risotto?
You will hear a lot of answers to this question, but the best risotto I have ever made was when I was constantly stirring.
The more you stir, the more creamy starches you make to get that texture you want.
What makes risotto so creamy?
Do you use stock or broth for risotto?
Should you stir risotto as it cooks?
Want more delicious risotto? Try out our Roasted Leek and Brie Risotto, Balsamic Caprese Risotto or Roasted Asparagus and Sweet Corn Risotto.
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Roasted Tomato and Sausage Risotto
Equipment
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring spoons
- Knife
Ingredients
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 Tablespoons red onion finely diced
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
- 1 cup white wine such as sauvignon blanc or chardonnay (not sweet) (see note)
- 6 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1-2 heads roasted garlic (see note)
- 4 links Italian sausage
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- salt
- black pepper
Instructions
- Roast your garlic if it is not done already (see note).
- Place the stock in a pot and heat over medium low. You want the stock to be warm when adding it to the risotto so that the temperature change does not affect the rice.
- In a large pot over medium heat, melt 3 Tablespoons of the butter. When melted, add the red onion. Cook until the onion is translucent but not yet browning, approximately 3-5 minutes.
- Add the rice and garlic powder. Stir. Continue cooking to slightly toast the rice until it is just starting to show a little brown color, approximately 3-5 minutes.
- Add the white wine to the pot. Cook until the rice is almost dry, where most of the wine has been absorbed.
- Start cooking your Italian sausage while your risotto is going. Heat a medium saute pan over medium heat. When hot, add the sausage. Cook until browned, approximately 5-7 minutes. Flip and cook until the other side is browned and the sausage is cooked through, approximately 5 minutes more. Set aside.
- In the same skillet, add a Tablespoon of butter and the cherry tomatoes. Cook until just blistering, approximately 2-3 minutes. Set aside.
- Add 1/2 cup of stock to the rice. Stir continuously until most of the stock has been absorbed. Repeat this process one cup of stock at a time until the rice is cooked thoroughly. You want the rice to have just a little bit of bite left so that it is not completely mushy. Depending on your rice, you may need more or less stock for the right consistency so start tasting the rice after 4 cups have been added.
- When your rice is cooked through, remove the pot from the heat. Add the rest of the butter, the Parmesan cheese, roasted garlic, and tomato paste. Stir to combine.
- Taste the risotto and season with salt and pepper as desired. Serve with Italian sausage and tomatoes on top or mixed in.
This looks incredible, the perfect fall meal if you ask me!
Rissoto is one of my very favorites! Looking forward to trying your recipe.
That bowl of risotto looks perfect! Wonderful flavors.
Lots of my fave foods in one! Yum! Didn’t realize Hunt’s had little pouches like that. Will have to check it out!
The paste pouches really are perfect! 🙂
Kim this looks so delicious! Love the unique combination and that you combined tomatoes and sausage!
I love risotto! And this one certainly looks delicious 🙂
A good tomato paste definitely can make a real difference to a recipe and this sausage risotto sounds delicious!
LOL I’m the same way! I think I’m ordering something else but I always end up with the risotto. This looks amazing. Cannot wait to try this at home.
I’ve never made Risotto before but you make it look so easy! I am all for these packets, they will totally help my avoid waste!
Your risotto sounds so flavorful! I need to get my hands on Hunt’s Recipe Ready paste pouches so I can give your recipe a try!
I keep meaning to pick up those pouches, I’m so often throwing away leftover paste!
That risotto screams “comfort” and “get in my belly” to me!
Those pouches are brilliant. I cook for only two of us, so then I’m always playing games with the rest of the can, preserving it – and so I really don’t use tomato paste as often as I’d like to! (I tried the fancy gourmet store tube – but it cost so much I hardly dared use it! Not much help there… ) I have to keep an eye out for them here.
Oh, yeah, your risotto looks good, too… LOL
Hi Anne,
I was in the exact same boat! Loving these pouches, they are right with all of the other Hunt’s tomato products. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Wishing I would have had this for dinner tonight. Yum!
I love garlic! I’d put so much garlic in that risotto!
when do you put in the garlic powder?
Hi Lori,
So sorry! I add it with the arborio rice. Thanks for catching that! I will go update it now 🙂
Delicious and I added rotisserie chicken also!
So delicious! We didn’t have white wine so I substituted red wine for white. I also cut up the sausage after cooking.
Just made this tonight. Huge, huge success! I use a 3/4 cup ladle and set a date night with me and my risotto on medium low. The goal is to get the sauce absorbed into the rice and keep it as one mass (think green slime) and make sure that the wet gloop turns to gloss before you add in the next ladle-full.
I honestly do not know if it would be possible to make this dish better. It is perfect. The mild sausages I grilled were the perfect compliment. The creamy rice, the tangy tomato and the rich salty cheese–topped with the zest of the brown garlic and a shake (or two) of lively parsley made this dish the envy of any other risotto recipe. THANK YOU!
Thank you so much, Donna!
I am SO glad you liked it and you have completely made my day 🙂 Your date night in the kitchen with the risotto sounds perfect!
Awesome!! This was my first time cooking Risotto and I was a little intimidated but it turned out great and so delicious
LOVED this! Could make it without the sausage and it would still be hearty enough for a full meal. Not as great leftover, but that’s okay because it’s so delicious the first night you probably won’t have leftovers anyway!
Great Risotto recipe!!!! Made it the other night with great reviews from everybody and there wasn’t a teaspoon leftover! 🙂
Tried making in the Instant Pot—was definitely easier yet equally tasty compared to the stovetop method! Sautéed the onion for a minute with butter, toasted the rice for ~3 minutes with butter + oil; broth to rice ratio of around 2:1, pressure cook for 5 minutes and then quick release.
So glad it worked well for the IP! 🙂 Thanks for including how you did it!