Paella with Sausage and Peas

I know this sounds all shishi fou fou but it’s really easy! Dewey and I both gave this a thumbs way up & it is now in our rotation of “go to” dishes.

• 1 lb (500 g) sweet or hot Italian sausage, cut crosswise into 1/2 inch slices
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups (500 mL) chicken broth
• 1 cup (250 mL) fresh or canned diced tomatoes
• 1 green or red pepper, sliced
• 1/2 tsp tumeric
• 1 cup (250 mL) raw arborio or parbroiled (converted) rice (not instant)
• 1 cup (250 mL) frozen peas
• 2 Tbsp (30 mL) chopped fresh parsley (optional, but nice)

Arrange sausage slices in a deep non-stick skillet. Place over medium heat and cook 5 to 7 minutes, turning over once, until lightly browned on both sides. Remove from pan and pour off most of the fat (leave just a thin film in pan).

Add the onion and garlic to the skillet and cook, stiring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, tomatoes, sliced pepper and tumeric, and mix well. Stir in the rice bring to a boil, then stir again to mix.

Return the sausage slices to the pan, arranging them evenly on the top of the rice mixture, then immediately reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook without stirring for 20 minutes or until the rice is almost tender. Sprinkle the peas overtop & replace the lid. Continue cooking for another 5 to 8 minutes or until the rice is completely done. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes before serving to allow any excess liquid to be absorbed.

Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.

Makes 4 servings

Recipe Notes: I used fresh tomatoes b/c I had them. I also used Spolumbo’s Hot Italian sausage (a local Calgary brand of fresh sausage) so I couldn’t really get 1/2 inch slices. The sausage tasted great but wasn’t as pretty as the pic in the magazine. I didn’t have parsley so I didn’t use it. Didn’t really miss it. This recipe was so good that we ate the leftovers the next night. Definitely worth a try!

Don’t forget to check out more “What’s Cooking Wednesday” fun over at Shan’s blog!