On rainy days, very little gets me out the door. Even though I always, always, feel centered and happy after connecting with the world (especially when that world is Spello). So I invent errands for myself, like “We are out of chocolate, and I cannot live if I don’t have a square—WITH HAZELNUTS—after dinner.” It is, to be fair, the perfect way to cap off a meal. In any case, it turns out I’m perfectly fine walking in the misty gloom as long as there is a treat at the end of it. Suddenly the walk is less “misty gloom” and more “moody romantic.”

Earlier this week (read: 3 chocolate trips ago), I did my customary roam through the market, making sure we didn’t need anything else. The light is mellow against the weather which is a cross between fog and drizzle. Frizzle. It’s an invitation to see if there are pasta shapes I’ve yet to notice or a new yogurt flavor. This time, I lingered at the rice shelf.

Rainy afternoon means a post-shopping stop at Bar Tullia for a bit of brightness

So many kinds! They all look the same but there are different kinds for soup, risotto, salad, and, hold on. What’s this? Rice for “riso con sugo”, rice with sauce? I stared at the image on the front of the box, rice in a light tomato sauce. This reminded me of something, something from my childhood. Though I couldn’t think of what, I drop the box into my basket.

I cooked it yesterday and holy moly, I’ve got to remember what taste memory this triggers because I felt emotionally sustained and floored with every bite. Or maybe it wasn’t a memory, maybe it was just the flavors, rich and satisfying and homey. After all, my whole family loved it, and they don’t have the same childhood memories of French, Mexican, and Lebanese foods.

Try it, and tell me what you think. And if it reminds you of anything.

Riso con Sugo

Ingredients:

Olive oil
1/2 medium to large onion, chopped
3 Italian sausage links, opened with casings discarded
1/2 cup of white wine or even old Prosecco
500 grams of rice (for risotto, or better yet, for riso con sugo if you can get it)
250 grams of tomato sauce (not prepared with herbs or anything, just pureed tomatoes)
2 liters of broth
a couple of pats of butter

Process:

Pour olive oil into a heated pan or pot, one that has a lid, and add the chopped onions. Saute until soft.
Add sausage meat to the pan and stir to break up the pieces, until its cooked through.
Add the wine. Cook down until it’s almost evaporated.
Add the rice and saute, stirring until the grains are covered with oil and have gotten a little toasty.
Add the tomato sauce and stir until incorporated.
Add enough broth to cover, stir and let it be, without a lid.
When the broth is absorbed, stir the rice gently, and add more broth, again just to cover.
Repeat the rice absorbing broth, stir, add more broth until the rice is soft to your liking.
Depending on the saltiness of your sausage and broth, you may not need to add salt. Taste it at this point and see, correcting the seasoning.
Add a couple of pats of butter, turn off the heat under the pot, and cover.
Let the rice relax for a few minutes, and then stir and serve.

Buon appetito!

Let me know what you think in the comments, and don’t forget to share this post!