sausage, tomato and spinach risotto.

Ah, risotto.  Rice, olive oil, wine, cheese…really, how could you go wrong?

I adapted this recipe from one of my favorite blogs, Smitten Kitchen, where author Deb finds amazing recipes and takes beautiful photos from her 42 square foot kitchen in New York City.  Really I’m just green with envy…living and cooking and eating in one of the most amazing cities in the world.

Part of what is great about this recipe, besides all the flavor, is that it’s got a little something for everyone.  But you have to be patient…it needs a little nurturing for about 25 minutes on the stove to let the flavors get to know each other.

And did I mention the 7 cups of spinach?  No need to make a side salad…it’s got all the food groups in one bowl!

I mentioned the cheese, right?

So your hard work of stirring will finally pay off and you’ll have this glorious, beautiful dish to razzle-dazzle your friends and family.

Sausage, Tomato and Spinach Risotto

(serves 4-6)

What You’ll Need:

1 can diced tomatoes in juice ($.99 at $.99 per can)

4 cups water

1 tablespoon olive oil ($.08 at $.08/tablespoon)

3/4 pound italian sausage, casings removed ($2.24 at $2.99/lb for chicken sausage at sprouts)

1 small onion, diced ($.33 at $.99/lb)

sea salt and pepper

1 cup arborio rice ($.84 at $2.29/box at tjs)

1/2 cup dry white wine ($.33 at $1.99/bottle at tjs)

1 bunch spinach, chopped, about 7 cups ($.99/bunch)

1 tablespoon butter ($.09 at $.09/tablespoon)

1/2 cup grated asiago cheese ($.62 at $4.99/lb)

Instructions

In a saucepan combine tomatoes with 4 cups water.  Bring to a simmer and keep over low heat.

Separately, in a medium saucepan, saute sausage and onion in oil over medium heat.  Add salt and pepper.  Cook, breaking up the sausage with a spoon, until sausage is opaque and onion has softened, about 3-5 minutes.

Add rice, stirring until each grain is well coated, about 1-2 minutes.  Add wine and cook until absorbed, about 1 minute.

Add about 2 cups tomato water mixture to the rice and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until absorbed, about 4-5 minutes.  Continue adding tomato mixture one cup at a time, waiting for each cup to be absorbed before adding the next.  Stir occasionally until rice is creamy and just tender, about 25 minutes total.

Remove pan from heat.  Stir in spinach, butter and cheese; season with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately and sprinkle with extra cheese if desired.

TOTAL:  $6.51 or $1.63 per serving…even less if you have leftovers.  Add that’s it!

Nutrition (based on 4 servings):

402 calories per serving

13 grams of fat

43 carbs

17 grams protein

3 grams fiber