Risotto with Chicken Sausage and Peas

There is a restaurant near our apartment which serves a variety of foods, from steak to macaroni and cheese. Everything is delicious. The last time my husband and I ate there, however, they had a sausage risotto as one of their specials. Now, the sausage was a bit greasy and there was a lot of it, so it was a bit too rich to finish. So I made a *slightly* lighter version of the dish to eat at home based on this recipe. Risotto is a bit more time-consuming than a standard pasta, but the creamy texture that results makes it so comfort-foody, you'll forget how the deliciousness even made it into your bowl.

You will need the following ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (16 ounce) package Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage
1 cup chopped sweet onion
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/4 cups Arborio rice
1 cup Chardonnay or other dry white wine
3 1/2 cups chicken broth, low-sodium
1 cup frozen petite sweet peas
Salt and pepper to taste

First, chop your chicken sausage into bite-sized pieces and chop your onion, garlic, and herbs. Heat your oil in a dutch oven or large skillet, then add your onions and cook until softened. Add in your garlic, herbs, and chicken sausage and heat through.

Next, add the rice and wine to the skillet. Cook until wine is absorbed by the rice, and begin adding chicken broth one cup at a time. Once the rice has absorbed a cup of the chicken broth, add another cup to the rice mixture. Repeat until all 3 1/2 cups have been absorbed. As soon as you are on your final 1/2 cup of broth, add the frozen sweet peas to the mix. 

Add salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy!