Creamy Sausage, Mushroom, and Pea Risotto with Poached Egg, Parmesan and Baby Basil Leaves

I started vacation this week. If you know me, you can note that simply from the recent appearance of pasta and baked goods on my blog. I love food - a little too much. On a day to day basis, I try to keep myself in check ? eating healthier foods and smaller portions. But you can?t take the foodie out of the girl, so after two days of being ?on vacation? I was in the kitchen making risotto. I love making risotto ? the whole process of it. I?m also of the school of adding an egg to just about anything makes it better, so I ended up with this rich, creamy risotto for dinner last night. No matter what any recipe tells you ? risotto is easy (this one has butter, sausage, and lots of cheese ? how could it ever go wrong?) ? just taste it a lot along the way, and you?ll end up with an awesome meal.

Creamy Sausage, Mushroom, and Pea Risotto with Poached Egg, Parmesan, and Baby Basil Leaves

Served 4.

Leftover Potential: I made this dish fresh, but you could very easily use leftover risotto for this meal. Just add one egg and 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs per 1 1/2 cups of leftover risotto. Form into cakes, and pan fry in olive oil until nicely browned. If you like, stuff the cakes with cheese.

2 Tbsp butter

1 cup sausage

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 cup Arborio rice

1/2 cup white wine

2 bay leaves

salt, as needed

pepper, as needed

3 cups warm chicken or vegetable stock, or as needed

1/2 cup peas

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, or as needed

2 Tbsp parsley, chopped

1 Tbsp baby basil leaves

4 poached eggs (check out this site for advice on how to perfectly poach an egg)

1. In a large pot, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the sausage, and cook until beginning to brown. Add the onion and mushrooms, and cook until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic, and cook until fragrant.

2. Add the rice, and stir to combine. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, and allow to reduce over medium heat, stirring constantly, to almost nothing. Add the bay leaves, and season the mixture with salt and pepper.

3. Begin adding the stock, 1 ladleful at a time, stirring constantly until the rice has absorbed all the liquid. It may take all three cups (or more, or less). Taste the rice along the way, when it is nice and tender, it is finished.

4. When the rice is tender, fold in the peas and parmesan. Finish with parsley and basil.

5. Scoop some risotto onto a plate, sprinkle with more cheese, and top with a poached egg. Finish with salt, pepper, and additional basil leaves.