Donatella Arpaia’s Mushroom and Italian Sausage Rice Stuffing

An Italian sausage stuffing, a family recipe, melds Donatella Arpaia's Italian and American roots. Courtesy of Donatella Arpaia

Mushroom and Sausage Rice Stuffing

Italian meets American in Donatella Arpaia’s Italian sausage stuffing, created by her parents when they came to the United States over 50 years ago. Read more about Arpaia’s Thanksgiving family traditions here.

Serves 12

• 9 cups low-sodium chicken stock, divided
• 1 small onion
• Bay leaf
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1 1/2 cup wild rice
• 1 1/2 cup Arborio rice
• 1 1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, casing removed
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 stalks celery, diced
• 4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 6 to 8-ounce container of mixed gourmet mushrooms
• 1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1 egg
• Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large saucepan, heat 4 1/2 cups chicken stock with the onion, bay leaf, and 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt. Add wild rice. Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender, about 1 hour; add a little water during cooking if necessary.