All the comfort of risotto without twenty minutes of stirring - the oven does the work while you get on with something else.
Prep
15 mins
Cook
45 mins
Servings
4
Per serving
£2.45
Difficulty
easy
Purists will tell you a baked risotto is not a risotto. They are right, and I do not care. On a Tuesday this gets a properly creamy pan of rice on the table with about eight minutes of actual effort, and the sausage fat seasons the whole thing.
Heat the oven to 180C fan. Warm the oil in a large ovenproof casserole over a high heat and fry the sausage chunks for 6-7 minutes until browned all over and some of the fat has rendered out.
Add the onion, peppers and salt, turn the heat down and cook for 8 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic, fennel seeds and chilli flakes for a minute.
Tip in the rice and stir for 2 minutes so every grain is coated in the sausage fat, then add the tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes more.
Pour in the hot stock, bring to a simmer, then put a tight lid on and transfer to the oven for 22 minutes.
Do not lift the lid before 20 minutes - the steam is what cooks the rice evenly.
Take it out. The rice should be just tender and the liquid mostly absorbed. Beat in the parmesan and plenty of black pepper, which loosens it back into something creamy.
Rest, covered, for 5 minutes, scatter with parsley and serve straight from the pot.