Italian Rice, Sausage And Spinach Dressing Recipe
A dressing made with Italian sausage, rice, and fresh spinach.
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Ingredients
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Base
Sausage & Aromatics
Vegetables & Herbs
Seasoning & Finish
Method
Base
- 1
Cook the rice
Rinse the rice under cold water until water runs clear. In a medium saucepan bring 3 cups chicken broth and 2 tablespoons butter to a gentle boil. Add the rinsed rice, stir once, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15–18 minutes until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and transfer to a large wide bowl to cool slightly.
Sausage & Aromatics
- 2
Brown the sausage
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage (removed from casings) and break up with a spoon. Cook 5–7 minutes until browned and mostly cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a plate lined with paper towel, leaving rendered fat in the skillet.
- 3
Sweat the aromatics
If needed, add up to 1 tablespoon additional olive oil to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium. Add the diced onion and celery to the skillet and cook 4–5 minutes until softened and translucent. Add the minced garlic, dried Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper; cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
- 4
Combine sausage and aromatics
Return the browned sausage to the skillet with the aromatics, stir to combine and cook 1–2 minutes to marry flavors. Taste and adjust seasoning lightly — you will finish seasoning later.
Vegetables & Herbs
- 5
Wilt the spinach
Add the packed spinach to the skillet in batches, stirring and allowing each addition to wilt before adding more (about 1–2 minutes per batch). Once all spinach is wilted, stir in the chopped parsley, sliced scallions, lemon juice and lemon zest (if using).
- 6
Seasoning & Finish
- 7
Adjust texture and seasoning
If the dressing seems dry, stir in up to 1/4 cup additional warm stock a few tablespoons at a time until you reach a moist, but not soggy, consistency. Stir in 1/2 cup grated Parmesan and 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste (start with the listed amounts and adjust as desired).
- 8
Rest and serve
Allow the dressing to rest 10 minutes for flavors to meld. Taste and correct final seasoning; garnish with an extra sprinkle of Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature as a stuffing/dressing or side.