Mushroom Risotto
Creamy Arborio rice is slowly coaxed into velvety richness with ladle after ladle of warm broth, then finished with sauteed mushrooms and a generous shower of Parmesan. Patience is the only real ingredient.
Ingredients
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 pound mixed mushrooms (cremini, shiitake, oyster), sliced
- 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives or parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Pour the vegetable broth into a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then reduce heat to low to keep it warm throughout cooking.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the butter foams, then add the sliced mushrooms in a single layer.
- Cook the mushrooms for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring only occasionally, until well browned and any liquid they release has evaporated; season lightly with salt, then transfer to a plate and set aside.
- In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat, then add the chopped shallot and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until softened.
- Add the Arborio rice and stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes, until the grains look glossy and slightly translucent at the edges.
- Pour in the white wine and stir until it is almost completely absorbed, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the warm broth one ladleful (about 1/2 cup) at a time, stirring frequently and letting each addition be almost fully absorbed before adding the next; this should take about 18 to 22 minutes total.
- Continue this process, tasting the rice periodically, until it is creamy and just tender with a slight bite in the center (al dente), and you have used most or all of the broth.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, the Parmesan cheese, salt, and black pepper, stirring vigorously for about 30 seconds until the risotto turns glossy and creamy (this final vigorous stirring is called mantecatura).
- Fold in most of the browned mushrooms, reserving a few for garnish.
- Let the risotto rest, covered, for 2 minutes off the heat; it should slowly spread out on the plate rather than sit in a stiff mound.
- Divide among warm bowls, top with the reserved mushrooms, a little extra Parmesan, and chopped chives, and serve immediately.
Why You'll Love This
- Ultra-creamy texture comes purely from technique, not cream
- Deeply savory from well-browned mixed mushrooms
- A classic Italian comfort dish worth the standing-and-stirring
- Finishing with cold butter and cheese off the heat gives the signature glossy creaminess
Keep the broth at a bare simmer the whole time; adding cold broth shocks the rice and stalls the cooking, making the texture uneven.
The vigorous off-heat stirring at the end (mantecatura) is what makes restaurant risotto so creamy; don't skip it even though the rice already looks done.
Nutrition
| Calories | 460 |
| Protein | 14 g |
| Fat | 18 g |
| Carbs | 58 g |
| Fiber | 3 g |
| Sodium | 780 mg |
Estimated per serving
