The MUSHROOM RISOTTO is a typical dish of Italian cuisine, especially in the northern regions, where it is served at holiday lunches thanks to its richness and delicacy, suitable for every palate. It’s an ancient dish, traditionally prepared in autumn when fresh mushrooms are abundant, but today it can be made year-round, even using a good frozen product.
This first course is elevated by the mushrooms, so the choice of the mix is important: you don’t need only porcini, but you shouldn’t settle for just cultivated button mushrooms with too mild a flavor. Pay attention to cooking times to keep the mushrooms meaty and to obtain a risotto that is al dente and creamy, according to tradition.
And don’t overdo the Parmesan and butter when finishing: they create the delicious creamy texture, but must not overpower the delicate taste of the mushrooms, the true stars of the dish.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups Carnaroli rice
- 1.1 lb mixed mushrooms (mixed)
- 4 1/4 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 clove garlic
- to taste extra-virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 bunch parsley
Steps
The preparation of MUSHROOM RISOTTO is very simple. You can use frozen mushrooms as I did or fresh mushrooms, depending on the season.
First, prepare the vegetable broth. Put the water in a pot together with a carrot, celery and an onion. Lightly salt, bring to a boil and let simmer for 20 minutes. To shorten the time you can use a vegetable bouillon cube dissolved in one liter of water.
In a skillet put a drizzle of oil and the garlic. Let it brown gently and add the mixed frozen mushrooms.
Cook for 15 minutes, adjusting the salt.
In a wide pot, preferably with a thick bottom and high sides, put a drizzle of oil. Heat it and add the rice. Lightly salt it and toast it for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Deglaze with the wine and once evaporated add a ladle of broth at a time.
At halfway through cooking add the previously cooked mushrooms, after removing the garlic.
Add more broth and bring to the end of cooking. With the heat off add the butter, the Parmesan and the chopped parsley. Cream the mushroom risotto and cover with the lid.
Let it rest for 5 minutes, then plate and enjoy its full creamy goodness.
