Dirty Risotto: Try this Cajun Italian Fusion Dish

Dirty risotto is a cross between dirty rice and a classic Italian risotto. It’s the crossroads between New Orleans, Louisiana and Lombardy, Italia. Maybe two places that you never thought would come together to blend this fusion dirty risotto in the best way possible.

I’m taking some of the classic New Orleans ingredients, like the trinity of celery, onion, and bell pepper and Cajun seasoning, to Italy with red wine for flavor and color and plenty of parmesan cheese for a creamy nutty finish. The combination of the flavors of New Orleans balance so well with Italian components that this dirty risotto almost tastes familiar and comforting. The cheese cools off the heat from the chilis and deglazing the pan with red wine works seamlessly with my silly UAE sausages (they taste better than they look!). I am positive that this would be delicious with your favorite sausage whether you choose the traditional andouille or a spicy Italian!

Serves 4 as a main course, 6 as a side dish

Suggested Wine Pairing:

Try a Sangiovese or if you can’t find that go with a Pinot Noir. Use it in the dirty risotto and use it to drink with dinner.

Ingredients:

1 onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 green bell pepper, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

2 cayenne peppers, diced

1 pound of sausage, divided. Half diced and half sliced into rounds.

1 cup arborio rice

3 cups chicken stock, homemade or store bought.

1/2 cup red wine

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning

1 scallion, chopped

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

1/4 cup parmesan, shredded

Hot sauce to serve, optional

Instructions:

1. Saute the diced sausage in a large saucepan and allow to crisp for about 5 minutes.
2. To the same pan at medium heat, add the butter, onions, bell pepper, and celery and cook for another 5 minutes stirring frequently to ensure that nothing is burning.
3. Add the garlic and cayenne pepper cook for about 1 minute before adding the arborio rice and toasting it slightly. Reduce the heat to medium-low.
4. Deglaze the pan with the red wine. Once that is absorbed, stir in the chicken stock, 1/2 cup at a time.
5. While your risotto is busy absorbing the chicken stock, add your sliced sausage to a frying pan and crisp up those rounds.
6. Once all of the chicken stock has been absorbed, the arborio rice should be cooked through. Stir in the parmesan cheese and remove from heat.
7. To serve, divide the dirty risotto between bowls and top with crispy sausage rounds and make it look pretty with scallions and parsley.

If you like this dirty risotto recipe, check out my green pea and lemon risotto.

If you are looking for more cajun inspired recipes, look no further than my red beans and rice. Or if you like a cajun – Italian mashup, try my pastalaya.