The risotto with champignon mushrooms and parmesan is a creamy and simple to prepare first course, perfect for bringing to the table all the fragrance of fresh autumn mushrooms combined with the soft creaminess of parmesan that enhances its goodness.
With few ingredients and some care, you get a delicately flavored yet rich risotto, ideal for both a quick dinner and a family lunch.
But for me, this dish is also a special memory. Many years ago, we rented a small house with a garden near Monterenzio with my ex-husband’s colleagues: they were carefree days, marked by laughter and adventures. With the boys (and their girlfriends) of the Il Resto del Carlino expeditions, we would head into the woods in search of mushrooms: some nice parasol mushrooms, a porcini (yay!), and many champignons that quickly ended up in the pan.
Coming back with a full basket was a way to improvise simple dishes to share together.
In the kitchen, I didn’t have many tools: I made do with what was there and I still remember the time I rolled out the tagliatelle dough with a bottle instead of a rolling pin! Those were moments of simplicity, freedom, and enthusiasm, where happiness was present even if we didn’t fully realize it, sigh sigh.
Today, preparing this risotto with champignon mushrooms and parmesan, I like to think of that innocence and hope that maybe are no longer there, but remain alive in my memories of a young woman. And every spoonful smells a bit like those woods and that simple joy that is unforgettable.
OH WELL forgive me!
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I opened a channel of recipes open to everyone and free on WhatsApp, no notifications and no sound, which you can subscribe to by clicking the link here https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaHbGIn9cDDig7Cw2x0F and every day you can read a sweet and a savory recipe!
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Always on the THEME of mushroom recipes, I’ll leave you with other easy suggestions just below:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 1 Minute
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons, Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups rice (for Carnaroli risotto)
- 10.5 oz champignon mushrooms
- 1 shallot
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 oz Parmesan Reggiano DOP (grated)
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1 clove garlic
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- to taste vegetable broth (about 1 quart)
Tools
- Spatulas
- Rice Cookers
- Ladles
PREPARATION
First, I clean the mushrooms, slice them, and sauté them in a pan with a bit of oil and a garlic clove. I season with salt and pepper and set them aside.
In a saucepan, I soften the finely chopped shallot with 1 1/2 tbsp of butter and a bit of oil.
I add the rice and toast it for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly, then deglaze with dry white wine and let it evaporate.I continue cooking by adding one ladle of hot broth at a time, stirring continuously.
Halfway through cooking, I add the champignon mushrooms that I had sautéed in the pan. I continue with the broth until the rice is cooked (about 15-18 minutes).Off the heat, I stir in the remaining butter and the parmesan. Mix well, cover the pot for a minute, and then serve my risotto with a sprinkle of Parmesan.
Simple, economical, and delicious!
Enjoy your meal and happy cooking! Annalisa
Variations
Besides champignons, you can use in the risotto:
– Fresh or dried porcini → the most prized, intense aroma and strong flavor.
– Chanterelles (chanterelles or roosters) → meaty, slightly fruity, excellent with parmesan.
– Pleurotus (or geloni, orecchioni) → easy to find at the supermarket, firm texture.
– Honey mushrooms → with a more rustic flavor, to be boiled first for safety because they contain thermolabile toxic substances (water-soluble) that can cause gastrointestinal problems if eaten raw or undercooked. Therefore, they should be always boiled in boiling water for about 15-20 minutes, drained, and only then sautéed in a pan or added to the risotto.
– Frozen mixed forest mushrooms → practical and already cleaned, ideal if you don’t have fresh mushrooms.
