Risotto w/ Italian Sweet Sausage, Peas, & Mushrooms

Risotto is one of my staple meals each week. And although it's rice, it's *very* filling. It's the catch-all meal...if I have a little zucchini, tomato, mushroom or onion leftover - it goes in. It's a great way for the kids to get veggies and takes less than 30 minutes to make. You can make it whatever you want - vegetarian or w/ meat.

I've adapted a recipe from Real Simple. I've made it several times and this is the version we love the most. The good thing is that you can use the rest of the sausage (mushrooms, etc) in a homemade spaghetti red sauce (serve it the next day or freeze it!) or w/ stuffed peppers (see above).

Ingredients
1C risotto (arborio rice- Vons & Albertsons sell a large plastic container of this rice, worth buying)
3C chicken broth (or veggie broth); this makes all the difference vs. water.
2 sweet italian sausage links
1/2 onion, chopped
1t of minced garlic
1/2 pack of mushrooms (crimini have the most flavor)
Frozen green peas (2-3 hanfuls, adjust to your liking)
Parmesan, grated - to garnish @ end
Salt & pepper - to flavor

[For another day/meal, you can follow these same directions, but then sub the mushroom/pea/sausage for any "leftover" veggie ingredients.]
Directions - this requires constant attention & stirring, unlike other types of rice.

1. Two pans: One for sausage & veggies & One for Rice - you can do each part simultaneously.
2. Remove casings from sausage and saute meat with onion & garlic in 1T of olive oil. Breaking up w/ a wooden spoon until the crumbles are brown. Add in sliced mushrooms & frozen peas. Stir until mushrooms appear soft (or the way you like to eat them). Set aside.
3. In a saucepan, add 1T of olive oil & 1 C of risotto (make sure it doesn't burn or turn brown). Saute about 2 minutes, turn down to med/high heat & carefully add in *1C* of chicken broth (or veggie broth). Keep stirring *every* minute. When broth begins to reduce (there's not much left), add in another *1C* of broth. Repeat stirring & reduction, then add final *1C* of broth. Watch rice carefully, if it appears that it's getting too hot and rice isn't slowly absorbing the broth, then you need to reduce heat. You may have to add more broth @ the end, if the rice isn't soft (taste it) after 20minutes of this process.
4. Add sausage, pea, mushroom mixture to Rice. Stir & combine. Heat through (1-2 min). Serve & place parmesan on top as a garnish. You can serve salt/pepper on the side so that each person can flavor as they wish. Personally, w/ the salt of the sausage & flavor of the veggies - no seasoning is needed.