Sardinian Risotto Recipe

This Sardinian Risotto Recipe makes a saffron and tomato risotto with a pork ragù, pecorino and butter, ready in about 1 hour 5 minutes. It serves 6 and is a filling one-pan dinner you can start the ragù for ahead of time.

Why This Recipe Works

The ragù is cooked first and set aside, then added to the rice in two batches. The rice takes up the wine, stock and tomato flavor as it cooks, so every grain tastes of the sauce instead of sitting in it.

The rice goes into hot olive oil for 5 minutes before any liquid touches it. That coats each grain in oil, which helps the grains stay separate and keeps the risotto from turning gluey.

Pecorino and butter go in at the very end, off the heat. Aged pecorino is sharp and salty, and the butter softens it into a loose, creamy finish. Taste before you add more salt.

Sardinian Risotto Recipe Ingredients

For the ragù

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 9 ounces ground lean pork or veal
• 1 small glass red wine (preferably Sardinian Cannonau)
• 7 fluid ounces (about 7/8 cup) chicken stock
• 7 ounces passata or chopped tomatoes
• 1/4 teaspoon good saffron powder
• Salt

For the risotto

• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound 5 ounces risotto rice
• 3 ounces aged pecorino cheese, grated
• 1 1/2 ounces butter
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Hot water, as needed

How To Make Sardinian Risotto Recipe

Make the ragù

1. Soften the onion: Warm the 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan over gentle heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until soft, so it sweetens instead of browning sharp.
2. Brown the meat: Add the ground pork or veal and fry until it turns brown. Browning gives the ragù a deeper, meatier taste than just cooking it through.
3. Simmer the ragù: Pour in the red wine, chicken stock and passata or chopped tomatoes, then add the saffron and a little salt. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, then take the pan off the heat and set the ragù aside.

Cook the risotto

4. Toast the rice: Heat the 6 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan and add the rice. Stir over gentle heat for about 5 minutes, until every grain is coated in oil.
5. Add half the ragù: Stir in half of the ragù and keep stirring for 5 minutes. Check the moisture as you go. This rice drinks a lot of liquid, so add a splash of hot water if the pan looks dry.
6. Add the rest: Stir in the remaining ragù and keep stirring for about 10 minutes, until the rice is cooked through. Stop when the texture is quite loose, since it will tighten as it sits.
7. Finish and rest: Stir in the grated pecorino, the butter and a few grinds of black pepper. Let the risotto rest for a few minutes, then serve.

Recipe Tips

• Keep hot water close: Heat a kettle or small pot of water before you start the rice. Cold water stops the cooking and makes the grains cook unevenly.
• Stir often: The rice releases starch as you stir, and that starch makes the risotto creamy. Stand at the stove for the 15 minutes the rice is cooking.
• Go easy on salt: Aged pecorino is salty and the stock may be too. Taste after the cheese goes in, then add salt only if it needs it.
• Serve it loose: Aim for a consistency that slowly spreads on the plate. If it sets stiff while resting, stir in a spoonful of hot water.

What To Serve With Sardinian Risotto Recipe

Serve the risotto in warm bowls with extra grated pecorino and black pepper on top. A simple green salad with lemon and olive oil, or a glass of the same red wine you cooked with, fits well alongside.

How To Store

• Fridge: Cool leftovers quickly and keep them in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Reheat: Warm the risotto in a pan over low heat with a splash of water or stock, stirring, until it is hot all the way through.
• Make ahead: The ragù keeps well. Cook it up to 2 days ahead, store it covered in the fridge, and reheat it before you start the rice.

FAQs

Can I use ground beef instead of pork or veal?

Yes, lean ground beef works in the same amount. The ragù will taste a little stronger and less sweet. Use lean meat, since fatty meat can make the risotto greasy.

What if I can’t find saffron powder?

Use a generous pinch of saffron threads instead. Crush them and soak them in a spoonful of the hot stock for a few minutes before adding. Without saffron the dish is still good, but it loses the color and the floral note.

Can I make Sardinian risotto ahead and freeze it?

Freeze the ragù, not the finished risotto. The ragù freezes well for 2 to 3 months, while cooked rice turns soft and grainy when thawed. Thaw the ragù in the fridge and cook the rice fresh.

Why is my risotto sticky and heavy?

Most often it cooked too long or the pan ran dry. Add hot water a little at a time and stop cooking while the rice still has a slight bite and the texture is loose. It thickens as it rests.

Nutrition

Estimated per serving (1 of 6), worked out from the ingredients.

• Calories: about 780 kcal
• Total Fat: 30g
• Total Carbohydrate: 95g
• Dietary Fiber: 3g
• Protein: 27g

Sardinian Risotto Recipe

Recipe by Paula

0.0 from 0 votes

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

55

minutes

Total time

65

minutes

Saffron and tomato risotto cooked with a lean pork ragù, then finished with pecorino and butter. A filling one-pan dinner for 6 with a loose, creamy texture.

Ingredients

• For the ragù

• 4 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 small onion, finely chopped

• 9 ounces ground lean pork or veal

• 1 small glass red wine (preferably Sardinian Cannonau)

• 7 fluid ounces (about 7/8 cup) chicken stock

• 7 ounces passata or chopped tomatoes

• 1/4 teaspoon good saffron powder

• Salt

• For the risotto

• 6 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 pound 5 ounces risotto rice

• 3 ounces aged pecorino cheese, grated

• 1 1/2 ounces butter

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Hot water, as needed

Directions

• Soften the onion: Warm the 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan over gentle heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until soft, so it sweetens instead of browning sharp.
• Brown the meat: Add the ground pork or veal and fry until it turns brown. Browning gives the ragù a deeper, meatier taste than just cooking it through.
• Simmer the ragù: Pour in the red wine, chicken stock and passata or chopped tomatoes, then add the saffron and a little salt. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, then take the pan off the heat and set the ragù aside.
• Toast the rice: Heat the 6 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan and add the rice. Stir over gentle heat for about 5 minutes, until every grain is coated in oil.
• Add half the ragù: Stir in half of the ragù and keep stirring for 5 minutes. Check the moisture as you go. This rice drinks a lot of liquid, so add a splash of hot water if the pan looks dry.
• Add the rest: Stir in the remaining ragù and keep stirring for about 10 minutes, until the rice is cooked through. Stop when the texture is quite loose, since it will tighten as it sits.
• Finish and rest: Stir in the grated pecorino, the butter and a few grinds of black pepper. Let the risotto rest for a few minutes, then serve.