Sausage and Broccolini Risotto

My sister-in-law got me a subscription to Food Network Magazine for my birthday, and this is the first thing I made from my first issue.  Even though it's "risotto," it doesn't involve the constant attention of typical risotto.  You load up the pot and let it cook in the oven.  I love one pot dinners for weeknights, especially ones that my toddler will eat, too.  I followed pretty close to the recipe, except I used 1/2 the amount of sausage and I substituted shallot for onion and parmesan for fontina (both out of necessity).  I also cooked the broccolini with the risotto in the oven.  It lost its pretty bright green color, but the flavor and texture worked for us (it would have been pretty crunchy otherwise).

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 bunch broccolini, roughly chopped (about 8 ounces)
12 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 cup arborio rice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 cup grated fontina cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a Dutch oven or ovenproof pot over high heat. Add the broccolini and stir-fry until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon. Add the sausage, onion and carrot to the pot and cook, breaking up the meat, until browned, about 5 more minutes. Add the rice and garlic and cook, stirring, 1 more minute.

Add the wine to the pot and cook until evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes and 1 cup water; cover and bring to a boil. Transfer the pot to the oven and bake until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes.

Remove the pot from the oven. (Don't worry if the risotto seems wet; it will thicken when you add the cheese.) Vigorously stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the cheese until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the broccolini and divide among bowls.

Full recipe here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/sausage-and-broccolini-risotto-recipe/index.html