Risotto ai Funghi
Creamy Italian mushroom risotto with Arborio rice, white wine, Parmesan and earthy mushrooms finished without cream.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice
- 14 oz brown mushrooms, sliced
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup shallot or onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp dry white wine
- 4 cups plus 3 tbsp hot vegetable stock
- 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
- 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 300 g Arborio or Carnaroli rice
- 400 g brown mushrooms, sliced
- 30 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 40 g unsalted butter
- 80 g shallot or onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 100 ml dry white wine
- 1 litre hot vegetable stock
- 50 g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
- 10 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 4 g fine sea salt
- 2 g black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the stock in a saucepan and keep it hot over low heat. Don’t let it boil hard.
- Heat the olive oil and half the butter in a wide pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms in two batches and cook for 4 to 5 minutes per batch until browned and the moisture cooks off. Season lightly with a little salt and pepper, then set aside.
- Lower the heat to medium. Add the remaining butter, then cook the shallot for 2 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the rice and toast for 1 to 2 minutes until the grains look glossy and the edges turn slightly translucent. Don’t brown the rice.
- Pour in the wine and stir until it is almost fully absorbed.
- Add the hot stock one ladle at a time, stirring often. Let each addition absorb before adding the next. Keep the risotto at a gentle simmer, not a rapid boil.
- Cook for 16 to 18 minutes, stirring regularly, until the rice is tender but still has a slight bite. The mixture should look loose and creamy, not stiff.
- Stir in most of the mushrooms, the Parmigiano Reggiano and half the parsley. Adjust with a little extra stock if needed. The risotto should spread softly when spooned.
- Rest the pan off the heat for 1 minute. Spoon into warm bowls and top with the remaining mushrooms, parsley and a little extra black pepper.
Cultural Context
Risotto belongs most strongly to northern Italy, where rice farming shaped regional cooking, especially in Lombardy, Piedmont and Veneto. Mushroom risotto sits comfortably in that tradition, particularly in cooler months when porcini and other woodland mushrooms are widely used.
Fun Fact
In northern Italy, risotto is traditionally judged by its texture, not just its flavor. The ideal consistency is called “all’onda,” meaning “like a wave.”
Cook’s Tip
Don’t add cream. Proper risotto gets its creamy texture from rice starch, hot stock, butter and cheese. Cream is the shortcut that announces itself too loudly.
Trivia
Italy produces most of Europe’s risotto rice. The Po Valley grows Arborio, Carnaroli and Vialone Nano, the varieties most often used for authentic risotto.
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