Mushroom Italian Risotto (Printable View)
Creamy Italian Arborio rice with sautéed mushrooms and Parmesan, perfect for a comforting meal.
# Ingredient List:
→ Mushrooms
01 - 14 oz mixed mushrooms (cremini, shiitake, button), cleaned and sliced
→ Rice
02 - 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
→ Aromatics
03 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (plus extra for garnish)
→ Liquids
06 - 4 cups vegetable stock, kept warm
07 - 1/2 cup dry white wine
→ Dairy
08 - 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
09 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
10 - 2 tbsp olive oil
→ Seasonings
11 - Salt, to taste
12 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# How to Prepare:
01 - Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened and translucent.
02 - Incorporate minced garlic and cook an additional minute, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
03 - Add sliced mushrooms, sauté for 6 to 8 minutes until browned and tender. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
04 - Stir in Arborio rice and cook for 2 minutes, allowing it to lightly toast and absorb flavors.
05 - Pour in dry white wine, stirring continuously until mostly absorbed by the rice.
06 - Add warm vegetable stock one ladleful at a time, stirring frequently. Wait until liquid is mostly absorbed before adding more. Continue this process over 20 to 25 minutes until rice is creamy and al dente.
07 - Remove from heat, then stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter, Parmesan cheese, and chopped parsley. Adjust seasoning as needed.
08 - Allow the dish to rest for 2 minutes before serving. Garnish with additional parsley and Parmesan cheese.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- It tastes like you spent hours cooking when you actually spent less than an hour.
- Creamy, luxurious, and completely vegetarian, so it satisfies everyone at the table.
- The technique teaches you something real about patience and listening to what the rice needs as it cooks.
02 -
- Never walk away from risotto or get distracted—it needs your attention and your stirring to become creamy, and that's not a suggestion, it's a fact that will change how your rice turns out.
- The stock must stay warm; cold stock will shock the rice and break the cooking momentum, so keep it heating in a separate pot the whole time.
- Risotto is done when the rice is creamy but the individual grains still have a tiny bit of firmness, not when it looks like porridge—this is the difference between good and transcendent.
03 -
- Keep that wooden spoon moving—constant gentle stirring is what coaxes the rice into creaminess, and it's meditative once you accept it's part of the process.
- Taste the rice at 20 minutes and then every minute after—it goes from too firm to perfect to mushy faster than you'd expect, and your spoon is the best timer you have.