new favorite recipe

i heart rachel ray magazine, most of the time. there's always a LOT of recipes in there, but some of them have so many ingredients that i dismiss them immediately, or sometimes they look too complicated (by complicated, i mean precise). i almost dismissed this recipe for drunken risotto with spinach and sausage because it requires you to stir constantly. but i'm so glad i didn't! below, find the recipe. please enjoy. notes: if you like wine, buy 2 bottles, because 3 cups is almost one whole bottle. and i bet mushrooms would be good in this dish.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups dry red wine
• 2 cups chicken stock (fyi--outdated chicken broth in the fridge works beautifully)
  
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 3/4 pound bulk Italian sweet or hot sausage (i used a whole pound)
  
• 1 small onion, finely chopped (i found a quarter of an onion and also used a shallot)
  
• 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped (i love garlic, so i used about 4 cloves)
  
• 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
• Salt and pepper
• 1/3 pound spinach leaves, stemmed and chopped (about 2 cups) (i used frozen, because i always have it)
  
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (please. who keeps fresh grated nutmeg? i used ground)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup grated pecorino-romano cheese (or parmesan or something like that)
  

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, combine the wine and chicken stock; keep warm over a low flame.

2. In a large, heavy pot, heat the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, crumbling the meat, until browned, about 2 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the rice and season with salt and pepper. Add the warm wine-stock mixture a couple of ladlefuls at a time, stirring vigorously after each addition and letting the liquid evaporate before adding more (this is really really important), cooking the risotto for 18 minutes. (or something like that)
   

3. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, stir in the spinach, a handful at a time, to wilt. Stir in the nutmeg. In the last minute of cooking, stir in the butter, then the cheese.