A tasty, full bodied risotto using the convenience of slow cooking.

Salsiccia Risotto with Summer Vegetables

4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

3/4 pound Piemonte Sausage – Bernie’s Sweet, Hot or Fennel and Hot Italian Sausage with casing removed.

3 Tablespoons water

5 Tablespoons Unsalted butter (separated)

1 small onion, cut into fine dice

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 cups arborio rice (14 ounces)

1/2 medium zucchini cut into half inch pieces

1/2 yellow summer squash cut into half inch pieces

1-2 teaspoons kosher salt (to taste)

5 cups baby spinach (5 ounces)

3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (+ extra for topping)

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Part I:

1. Turn a 6-7 quart slow cooker to high.
2. In a saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a simmer.
3. In a skillet, cook the sausage with the water over moderately high heat, break up the sausage with a spoon until the water has evaporated and the sausage is browned (approximately 10 minutes).
4. Transfer sausage to slow cooker.

Part II:

1. In the same skillet that sausage was browned, melt 3 Tablespoons butter. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until translucent (about 4 minutes). Add wine and cook, scraping any browned sausage left in the pan until the wine is reduced by half (about 2 minutes). Stir in the rice and cook until all the wine is absorbed. Scrape the rice into the slow cooker.
2. Add the hot chicken broth, zucchini, summer squash and salt. Cover and cook for 1 hour. Stir the mixture once after 30 minutes. The risotto is done when the rice is al dente and most of the liquid is absorbed.
3. Turn off slow cooker.

Part III:

1. Stir the spinach into the risotto in the slow cooker until just wilted. Stir in remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter the 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
2. Season with black pepper, top with additional cheese and serve immediately.