Italian Meat and Poultry Recipes - Pepperoni and Wilted Spinach Risotto Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 3 1/2 ounces pepperoni sausage, thinly sliced

• 1/2 cup pine nuts

• 2 tablespoons paprika

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

• 1 3/4 cups risotto rice

• 5 cups hot Chicken Stock

• 8 ounces baby spinach leaves

• 2/3 cup raisins

• salt and pepper

Serves 4

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Method:

1. Melt the butter with the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan. Add the sausage and pine nuts and cook gently for about 3 minutes, or until the pine nuts are golden. Drain with a slotted spoon.

2. Add the paprika, garlic and rice to the pan and stir well to coat the grains with the butter and oil. Add the hot stock, a large ladleful at a time, stirring until each addition is absorbed into the rice.

3. Continue adding stock in this way, cooking until the rice is creamy but the grains are still firm. This should take about 20 minutes.

4. Return the sliced sausage and pine nuts to the pan along with the spinach and raisins. Cook over a gentle heat, stirring the spinach into the rice until wilted.

5. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and leave the risotto to rest for a few minutes before serving.