Italian Sausage, Tomato & Basil Risotto

INGREDIENTS

• 6 Westaways Honey Roast Sausages
• ½ tsp ground fennel seeds
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 225g risotto rice
• 100g fresh or frozen peas
• 1 medium onion peeled & finely chopped
• ½ a 400g tin of plum tomatoes
• A small glass of dry white wine
• 1 litre of chicken stock
• 2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan
• A small pack of basil
• Salt & pepper

Slit the skins of the sausages and peel away. Heat a large heavy saucepan or casserole dish and add 1 tbsp of olive oil. Fry the sausage meat with the fennel seeds until lightly browned, breaking it down with a wooden spoon, then remove it with a slotted spoon and set it aside.

Add the remaining olive oil, turn down the heat and fry the onion gently until soft.

Heat the stock to boiling point in a saucepan and leave it over a low heat to simmer. Tip the rice into the onion, stir and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn’t catch and burn.

Return the sausage to the pan along with the peas and the tomatoes, breaking them up with a spoon, pour in the white wine and let it bubble up and evaporate. Add the hot stock to the rice with a ladle or cup, a ladleful at a time, stirring until each addition is absorbed. You may not need all the stock but carry on until the rice is soft but still has a tiny bit of bit (about 20 minutes in all). Turn off the heat, stir in the parmesan and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cover the pan for 5 minutes and leave the risotto to rest. Spoon the risotto into the bowls and top with torn basil leaves.