A little sausage goes a long way in this delicious dish. I’ve paired it with sweet squash, which gives us a hit of vitamins A and C, both of which we need to keep our skin nice and healthy.
- 4 higher-welfare chipolata sausages
- olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- ½ teaspoon dried red chilli flakes
- ½ a butternut squash
- 2 onions
- 1.2 litres organic veg or chicken stock
- 125 ml Chianti
- 300 g Arborio risotto rice
- 1 radicchio or 2 red chicory
- 300 g cottage cheese
- 15 g Parmesan cheese
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
Method
- Finely slice the chipolatas and place in a large high-sided pan on a medium heat with 1 tablespoon of oil, the fennel seeds and chilli flakes.
- Stir and fry while you chop the squash into 1cm dice (leaving the skin on and deseeding), and peel and finely chop the onions.
- Stir the veg into the pan, then cook with a lid ajar for around 20 minutes, or until the squash is starting to break down and caramelize, stirring regularly.
- Simmer the stock in a pan on a low heat.
- Push the squash aside, and pour the Chianti into the pan. Let it cook away, picking up all that goodness from the base of the pan.
- Stir in the rice for 2 minutes, then gradually add the stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring and waiting for each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next.
- Repeat this, stirring and massaging the starch out of the rice, for 20 minutes, or until the rice is cooked but still holding its shape, and the risotto is oozy.
- Finely slice the radicchio or chicory and stir through the risotto with the cottage cheese, then taste and season to perfection.
- Portion up and serve with a fine grating of Parmesan and a sprinkling of picked thyme leaves.
