Mushroom Risotto
Cozy, creamy, and packed with earthy flavor—this mushroom risotto is the ultimate comfort food.
This risotto is pure comfort in a bowl. Creamy, dreamy, and loaded with earthy mushrooms, it’s the dish that’ll have you swearing you’re dining in a little Italian trattoria. The secret? Toasting Arborio rice for that perfect bite, infusing broth with porcini magic, and finishing with a squeeze of lemon for brightness. Don’t skip the parmesan rind trick—major umami points. It’s a hug from the inside out, ready to impress your guests or treat yourself.
1 pound mixed mushrooms, sliced and stems removed (I used shitake and baby bellos)
8 tablespoons butter, divided
2 small shallots, minced
5 garlic cloves, minced
4 fresh thyme sprigs
3⁄4 cup dry white wine
1 oz dried porcini mushrooms
5 cups chicken stock (you can use vegetable stock to keep this vegetarian)
1 1⁄2 cups Arborio Rice
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 lemon, juiced
fresh parsley minced, optional
I added a parmesan rind (while incorporating my stock) for extra umami and richness. This is totally optional but a great way to enhance the flavor!
Combine broth, dried porcinis and mushroom stems in a small saucepan and warm over low heat.
In a heavy bottomed skillet (I used a dutch oven), melt half of the butter over medium heat. Then add the mushrooms and sear, undisturbed for 3-4 minutes until browned. Next, add shallots sautee until tender, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, thyme sprigs, salt and pepper to taste and stir for an additional minute. Remove mushroom mixture from pan and set aside.
To the same skillet, add remaining butter to pan over medium heat. Once melted, add rice and stir until rice begins to toast and look translucent, 3-4 minutes.
Add wine and bring to a simmer, making sure to scrape up any brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Add stock in 1 cup increments and stir until almost all broth is absorbed. Continue to repeat this process until all stock is used -- this takes about 25 minutes.
Once rice is al dente, add mushroom mixture to the rice and stir combine. Gently stir in heavy cream and parmesan cheese and cook for an additional 5 min on low heat. Add the lemon juice and season to taste with kosher salt and fresh black pepper. Risotto should be creamy, but firm to the bite. Transfer risotto to a serving bowl and top with freshly ground pepper, shaved parmesan and fresh parsley.
