Sausage Risotto with Homemade Tomato Sauce

To me the definition of comfort food has never been about whether it's fried or sweet, but rather about homemade food made entirely from scratch, with every step handled personally—that's the best comfort food.

There are many ways to cook this dish. The most convenient route is to buy ready-made tomato sauce and mix it with Italian rice to cook. There's no right or wrong in this approach; it's just that different people have different needs, so naturally, there are different cooking methods. But this time, I want to take a step further and simmer a delicious tomato broth myself—rich, creamy, and sweet. When you taste each grain of rice fully absorbing the flavour of the broth, that moment of satisfaction is unparalleled.

To achieve the texture of Al Dente rice, it's not difficult at all. Just follow the proportion of liquid to rice. For a firmer texture, use a ratio of 1:4 (1 part rice to 4 parts liquid). If you prefer a softer texture, use a ratio of 1:5 (1 part rice to 5 parts liquid). Remember this formula, and anyone can cook the perfect risotto!

Ingredients (serve 2)

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Basic Ingredients

Arborio Rice	1 cup
Pork Sausage	2 pcs
White Wine	100 ml
Unsalted Butter	20g
Shredded Parmesan Cheese	30g

Tomato Stock

Chopped Onion	1 Bulb
Cherry Tomato(cut in quarters)	10pcs
Chopped Garlic	2 cloves
Tomato Paste	2 tbsp
White Wine	100 ml
Thyme	2 sprigs
Water	800 ml
Salt	1 tsp
Sugar	4 tsp
Ground Black Pepper	1 pinch

Steps

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1. Start by making tomato broth. Heat over medium heat, add a little oil, and sauté onions, garlic, and cherry tomatoes until well mixed.

2. Add tomato paste, white wine, and thyme. Continue to sauté for 2 minutes until the alcohol evaporates. Then add water and simmer until the tomatoes are soft. Season with salt, sugar, and black pepper, then remove from heat and set aside.

3. Medium heat, add a little oil, then add sliced pork sausage. Stir-fry for 1 minute until the surface is golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. Continue using the same pan, add the rice, and stir gently.

5. Add 100ml of white wine and cook for 2 minutes until the alcohol evaporates.

6. The ratio for cooking risotto is typically 1:4, meaning 1 cup of rice to 4 cups of water or broth. Begin by reducing the heat to low. Add the tomato broth gradually in four increments, starting with one cup at a time. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon until most of the liquid is absorbed. Then add another cup of broth and continue this process until all four cups of broth have been added.

7. After adding 4 cups of broth, the rice will have expanded to about 2-3 times its original size. At this point, you can test the texture by biting into it; it should be slightly firm in the center. Then, stir in the sliced pork sausage, butter, and grated cheese. Once the cheese melts, it's ready to serve.

8. Adding a bit of Tabasco to serve makes it even more delicious!