Parmesan Sausage Risotto

Creamy restaurant-style sausage risotto features seared sausage slices, tender kale, and lots of fresh-grated Parmesan cheese.

Risotto is no longer a restaurant-only occasion! Now you can have this fine-dining classic right from the comfort of your own home.

With no shortage of Parmesan and juicy sausage slices either. Please excuse me while I go permanently set up residence in that pan down there.

The best part here is that you don’t need to be a seasoned pro in the kitchen to pull off homemade risotto. I share all the tips and tricks for making a perfect pan of risotto that I was taught in culinary school. Anyone can nail this classic!

This Risotto features…

• A perfectly rich and creamy texture
• Juicy sausage slices and tender kale
• Nutty grated Parmesan cheese

Making the Risotto

(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)

Ingredients You Will Need

• Unsalted butter
• Sausage
• Shallot
• Garlic
• Arborio rice
• White wine
• Chicken stock
• Parmesan cheese
• Kale

Choosing Your Sausage

I love using a lighter less-greasy sausage such as chicken or turkey, but this risotto will work great with a variety sausage types. Kielbasa is one of my other go-to’s when I don’t have chicken or turkey sausage on hand.

I recommend buying sausage links and cutting them 1/2-inch thick slices for best results.

Tips for Perfect Risotto

1. Sear sausage slices – this builds a flavorful crust on the sausage slices.
2. Toast rice – toasting the rice adds lots of flavor. Deglaze the pan with white wine to release any of the flavorful browned bits on the bottom of pan.
3. Use warm stock – this helps keep the temperature of the risotto consistent which will make for even cooking.
4. Add stock in small increments – adding too much broth will boil the rice, which we don’t want. Add broth in small amounts at a time and wait until all the broth is evaporated before adding more.
5. Cook risotto on medium-low – the trick to a perfectly creamy risotto is cooking it low and slow and it should take around 20-25 minutes to cook entirely. Don’t be tempted to bump up the heat.
6. Add Parmesan, sausage, and kale at end of cooking – adding these ingredients at the end will keep the Parmesan flavor sharp and prevent the sausage and kale from overcooking.

Recipe Variations

Try these ideas for a different twist on this risotto.

• Add more vegetables – try adding a handful of sun-dried tomatoes, sautéed sweet pepper, or mushroom.
• Use another green – swap out the kale with baby spinach.
• Try another cheese – replace the Parmesan with asiago, gouda, or cheddar.
• Make it vegetarian – replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock and skip the sausage.

Serving Suggestions

This risotto is delicious all on its own but also a great choice to serve alongside roast chicken, steak, or pork. It’s also amazing served alongside a leafy salad with garlic bread.

A bowl of this rich and creamy risotto may just fool anyone into thinking they’re actually at a fancy restaurant. And they are, it’s called your kitchen!

Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.

More risotto recipes to add to your dinner menu.

• Parmesan Pesto Risotto
• Asiago Butternut Squash Risotto
• Spinach Artichoke Risotto Stuffed Peppers

This post was updated with new recipe adjustments and photos on 12/8/25.