Italian Suasage Risotto Instant Pot

Creamy, Smooth and Easy

Pressure Cooker Risotto - Italian Sausage

This recipe is one of the Italian all-time favorites - and is quite famous. Your loved ones will enjoy flavor-infused rice with all the great taste of an authentic Italian dish but made right at home in your apartment with an Instant Pot.

Surprisingly this recipe is super easy

What is Risotto?
Risotto is usually thought of as a northern Italian rice dish cooked with broth until it reaches a smooth and creamy consistency. The broth can be any broth but is usually from meat, fish, or vegetables. Most risotto styles contain butter, onion, white wine, and parmesan cheese. It is one of the most common ways of cooking rice in Italy.

The traditional style of cooking risotto requires lots or attention and constant gentle stirring. When you make it in an Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker, it really is so simple - read on and see how you can make a smooth and creamy risotto at home.

This dish really is a must try.

Key Ingredients for Risotto

Wine

Any wine can be used but usually, a drier style white wine is better. The wine is a key ingredient as it boosts the flavors. The overall acidity of the wine will also provides the dish a nice balance.

Cheese

Parmesan Cheese is best because of the consistency and creamy properties it brings to the dish. use the best one you can as it will have deeper flavors. Also, keep a little for adding to the finished plate.

Rice

Arborio Rice is used traditionally because it has a very high starch content. The good thing is it readily available and will be on the shelf at your supermarket.

Prepare your Ingredients

It really does help to get organized by getting all your ingredients measured and organized first.

Why - because when you have never made a recipe before - having all your ingredients ready means that you can firstly check them off against the recipe before you start so that nothing is missing.

Secondly - as you are moving through the cooking steps it lets you focus on the dish preparation rather than jumping around looking for or preparing a missed item.

Here we have taken the meat out of the Italian sausages and rolled into meatballs. You could also use pre-made meatballs.

Saute the Meat Balls

We found that putting the meatballs around the edge of the instant pot bowl helped because there is a slight gathering of oil around the edge and it just helped in the meatballs staying together better as they are browned off.

Saute the Garlic and Shallots

Gently sweat the shallots and garlic with the meatballs and get all the nice flavors mixing.

Not too long - just enough for the onion and garlic to change color.

Add in the Rice

Adding the rice with all the flavors of the cooking so far just adds to the flavor.

Stir gently and do not let the rice burn.

Stir Gently

Add in the parsley, and half of the cheese and just mix gently - if too hot turn off the instant pot as the residue warmth will let you complete the gentle mixing.

Stir Gently some more

Add in all the ingredients including the peas and give it a gentle stir. (Hold off adding the butter).

Now put on the lid and cook as per the method.

Butter Add in for a nice creamy flavor.

After the instant pot has finished and just before you are ready to plate up - add in the butter.

This helps intensify the flavor, and make the taste extra smooth.

See the yellow bit of butter we are gently mixing into the risotto that has finished cooking.

Plated Risotto

I really like the depth of flavor and creamy smooth texture you get from making a risotto in the instant pot.