RISOTTO WITH SAUSAGE AND RED ONION SAUCE

I adapted this from a recipe in October's Cucinare bene magazine:

Cook 300 gr risotto rice for the length of time stated on the pack in a large pan of water with a little oil, salt and a crushed vegetable stock cube.  Drain it and put the rice into a lightly oiled mould [or 6 individual moulds if you prefer].  Put the mould in an oven heated to 180 C while you prepare the sauce [for no longer than 10 mins].

Chop a red onion and a clove of garlic and cook them in 2 tablesp olive oil in a pan.  Remove 200 gr Italian sausage from its skin and mash it up with a fork.  Add the sausage to the pan and brown it, stirring.  Add  a little white wine and a tablesp honey.  [The magazine recipe says Marsala but I'm not keen on its flavour.]  Also add a goodly dollop of 'strattu [tomato paste] diluted in a little homemade tomato sauce or water.  Stir everything so that the 'strattu dissolves. [The magazine recipe uses chopped tomatoes but, as regular readers know, I'm mad about 'strattu!] Add seasalt and black pepper to taste and reduce the sauce so that it it quite thick.

Turn the rice out onto a plate, pour the sauce around it, garnish as you like and serve.