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*Note: This recipe is very vegetarian-friendly! Just omit the sweet Italian sausage for a hearty, warming vegetarian risotto.
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees F; line a baking sheet with foil, and lightly drizzle foil with a bit of oil to coat.
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TIP: Prep all ingredients (chop, measure out, etc.) before beginning; this will help you have all items there at your fingertips once you are ready to start cooking. The prep work often takes longer than the cooking does!
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1)Place the chicken stock in a small pot on the stove over low heat, and cover; allow to slowly come to a gentle simmer, while you prep your pumpkin and apples to roast. Once the stock is hot, cut the heat and keep the pot covered; have a ladle ready.
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2)In a medium bowl, toss together the cubed pumpkin and apples with the pumpkin pie spice, salt, pepper, honey and 2 Tablespoons of the light oil to coat; place them onto the foil-lined and oiled baking sheet, in a single layer, and roast them in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes, until golden brown, fragrant and tender. (Give them a mix about halfway through with a spoon or spatula, so they don't get burned on the bottom.)
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3)Cook the sweet Italian sausage by crumbling it into a hot pan drizzled with just a touch of olive oil, and cook through until golden brown for about 5-6 minutes; let stand, covered.
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4)While the pumpkin and apples roast, begin the risotto by preheating a heavy-bottom pan (roughly 3 quart) over medium/medium-high heat; add the 2 Tablespoons of butter and the remaining light oil to the hot pan to melt, then add the chopped onion and sweat for about 2 minutes until translucent;
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5)Add the arborio rice and gently stir, making sure to coat all the rice grains in the butter/oil for about a minute or two;
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6)Add the white wine to the rice and onions (careful if cooking with flame), and give a gentle stir; allow the wine to reduce until almost absorbed, but not quite completely;
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7)Begin adding the hot chicken stock to the rice mixture, about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup at a time (about 1 to 1 1/2 ladles), stirring gently to incorporate and allowing the rice to slowly absorb the stock; (adjust your flame if necessary, so the rice is at a gentle simmer, not bubbling too harshly, evaporating the stock too quickly);
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8)Once this first increment of stock is mostly absorbed (roughly 3 minutes), add another 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of stock, stirring and allowing it to almost absorb, repeating this process until the rice is soft and creamy, but not mushy - about 23 minutes or so, total. (*You don't have to stand over the risotto guarding it the entire time, just don't walk away for too long as the stock can absorb fairly quickly.)
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9)Once the arborio rice is soft and creamy, turn off the heat; finish with the remaining 1 Tablespoon of butter, the shaved parmesan, the sweet Italian sausage and the roasted pumpkin and apples; gently fold all ingredients together in the pan, and sprinkle in about 1/2 of your chopped fresh sage (about 2 leaves). Check and adjust your seasoning, as far as salt and pepper go, if necessary.
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10)Voila! Spoon into bowls or onto plates, and garnish with remaining fresh sage. Enjoy!
