Bride of Magazine Challenge: Sausage and Tomato Risotto

So.
This is the first weekend we've been home in a while.  It's kind of nice to be here, simply because there's never enough time for the things that I really need to get done.  Updating here would be a good example of what doesn't happen...we won't talk about the cleaning, laundry or grocery buying that gets put off too.
But we're here now, and that's all good.  J and I changed out the water in the hot tub, put up the weather station I got him for his birthday, and put up the Christmas lights yesterday.  I fell asleep on the couch this afternoon.  It's amazing what doesn't get done when I spend the afternoon sleeping.  We had plans to set up the Christmas tree so that the kitten can start learning to climb it, but the best we managed was some meal planning and a trip to the grocery store.  I blame the cold weather.
Cold weather begs for meals like this: hearty, one pot affairs that use cheese, and wine, and make you dream of being in Italy as you snooze on the couch.  It's all good.
I present to you now from the November 2006 issue of Everyday Food, Sausage and Tomato Risotto:

Ingredients:
28 oz can diced tomatoes
3 c water
1 small onion, finely chopped
300 g hot Italian sausage
1 Tbsp oil
1/2 c dry white wine
1 c Arborio rice
5 oz baby spinach
1/2 c shredded Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp butter
Method:
1.  In a saucepan, combine tomatoes and water.  Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer.
2.  In a medium pan, heat oil and add onion and sausage that has been removed from its casing.  Cook until onion is soft and sausage is beginning to brown.  Add rice, stirring until well combined.  Add wine and stir until the liquid is absorbed.
3.  Add 2 cups of the simmering tomato liquid to the rice mixture.  Let cook until absorbed, stirring occasionally so the rice doesn't stick.  Continue to add tomato "broth", a cup at a time, until the rice is soft and creamy.  Stir frequently.
4.  Remove from heat.  Add spinach and fold into the rice.  Stir well before adding butter and cheese.  Serve immediately.

From Everyday Food, November 2006

Getting started with the wine.  We used a spicy sausage, and I would totally recommend that.  The amount of everything in this means that the spice is mellow, but needed in this dish.

Here's the last little bit of the tomato broth being added to the risotto.  It had been a long time since I'd made risotto, and J had never eaten it (remember how I said long time?  We've been married almost 8 years).  This picture reminds me of my mother's Spanish Rice.  It's nothing like that, though.  My mother didn't cook with the leftover wine in her fridge.

And here's the finished product.  It was so good, and there was one serving left after J's second bowl.  Lunch for tomorrow!  I'm betting it will be even better.