Risotto ai Funghi (Risotto with Mushrooms)

COURSE: Primo Piatto
DIFFICULTY: Medium 
PREPARATION TIME: 1 hour

Yield: 4 servings

2 cups rice, such as Arborio or Carnaroli
12 ounces porcini mushrooms (fresh or dry), sliced
6 ounces wild mushrooms
Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
1 cup minced onion
2 tablespoons minced shallots
½ cup dry white wine
6 ½ cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons butter, cut into bits
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Salt & freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Heat an oven to 450°F.  Toss the wild mushrooms with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place on a baking sheet, and roast them in the oven until they are deeply caramelized.  Flip them halfway so that both sides are roasted.

Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a large pot. Cover, and keep warm.

Truffle and Mushrooms Recipe courtesy of Eataly

In a separate pot, heat about 5 tablespoons of the olive oil, and sauté the onion and shallots until they are golden. Add the porcini mushrooms, and sauté until they are tender. Add the rice and stir to coat it with olive oil, add the wine and stir well, and finally add ½ cup of the chicken stock. Season the pot with salt, to taste. Cook, stirring constantly, until all of the liquid has been absorbed.

Continue to add ladlefuls of the hot stock in small batches — just enough to completely moisten the rice — and cook until each successive batch has been absorbed, stirring constantly, until the rice mixture is creamy and al dente. Add the roasted wild mushrooms, and stir to incorporate them evenly.

Remove the pan from the heat, beat in the butter and cheese, and season with pepper to taste.

Plate the risotto in four warm bowls, and serve immediately.

Buon appetito!

This recipe was first published courtesy of Eataly Magazine.

Find the original recipe here.