Italian Pork and Fennel Meatballs with Sage and Pumpkin Risotto
Sausages are not just for the BBQ. They are a raw material for making other great dishes. Our sausages have none of the pre-added nasties and the pork and fennel sausages make excellent polpette or Italian meatballs. Here they’re served with a filling risotto with pumpkin and sage, a great way to feed and fill a growing family.
Serves 6.
750g pork and fennel sausages
1 bread roll, crumbed in the blender
Zest 1 small lemon
60 ml extra virgin olive oil
100g pancetta or smoky bacon, finely diced
2 leeks, trimmed, cleaned, quartered lengthways, diced
400g pumpkin, 1cm dice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
125ml white wine
400g arborio rice
1.25 l chicken stock, hot
6 sage leaves
50g butter
Grated parmesan and sage leaves parsley to serve
Squeeze the meat from the sausage skins into a bowl. Discard the skins. Add the crumbs and lemon rind and mix well. Roll the sausages into 25 walnut-sized balls. Heat half the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and cook the meatballs, constantly rolling them around the pan by shaking them back and forth. This will give them an overall brown colour and make them hold their round shape. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove, cover and set aside.
Add the remaining oil to a heavy-based saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and leeks and cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently. Add the pumpkin and garlic, season, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the white wine and deglaze the pan. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add the risotto, and cook for a few minutes to slightly cook the rice. Then add 500ml of hot chicken stock. Stir. Add the rest of the stock in increments, a few minutes apart, stirring continuously. Add the sage leaves. After 18 minutes the risotto should be cooked through and quite soupy and creamy. Add the butter and stir through. Check for seasoning. Add the meatballs. Place on a serving platter and garnish. Serve with crusty bread and a glass of wine.
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Italian Pork and Fennel Meatballs with Sage and Pumpkin Risotto
Ingredients
- 750g pork and fennel sausages
- 1 bread roll, crumbed in the blender
- Zest 1 small lemon
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 100g pancetta or smoky bacon, finely diced
- 2 leeks, trimmed, cleaned, quartered lengthways, diced
- 400g pumpkin, 1cm dice
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 125ml white wine
- 400g arborio rice
- 1.25 l chicken stock, hot
- 6 sage leaves
- 50g butter
- Grated parmesan and sage leaves parsley to serve
Method
- Squeeze the meat from the sausage skins into a bowl. Discard the skins. Add the crumbs and lemon rind and mix well. Roll the sausages into 25 walnut-sized balls.
- Heat half the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and cook the meatballs, constantly rolling them around the pan by shaking them back and forth. This will give them an overall brown colour and make them hold their round shape.
- Cook for 5 minutes. Remove, cover and set aside.
- Add the remaining oil to a heavy-based saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and leeks and cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently. Add the pumpkin and garlic, season, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the white wine and deglaze the pan. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the risotto, and cook for a few minutes to slightly cook the rice. Then add 500ml of hot chicken stock. Stir. Add the rest of the stock in increments, a few minutes apart, stirring continuously. Add the sage leaves. After 18 minutes the risotto should be cooked through and quite soupy and creamy. Add the butter and stir through. Check for seasoning.
- Add the meatballs. Place on a serving platter and garnish. Serve with crusty bread and a glass of wine.
