Savory Mushroom Risotto

Early Sunday morning, my cousin messaged me and asked if I knew how to make mushroom risotto. Her niece posted a picture of it while she was in Italy and it left her with a desire to taste it closer to home. I had made risotto before, but not this type. The challenge was on, which meant it was going to be part of my own dinner. The more I thought, the more I could see this accompanying the grilled lamb chops I had planned for dinner. My husband loves mushroom anything…. My quest resulted in this Savory Mushroom Risotto. 

Garlic was sautéed in olive oil in a medium saucepan.

Arborio rice is used for risotto because of its high starch content. Here, it is added to the garlic and olive oil, tossing to thoroughly coat the grains.

Add in 1/4 cup of a dry white wine. Let it sizzle off as you stir. Follow up by stirring in 1 cup of broth. Continue to stir as liquid evaporates. Repeat the  process of adding broth and allowing it to evaporate until rice becomes soft; this is about 15-20 minutes. Rice should have a little bit of bite left in the center as you approach that end time.

While the rice is finishing up, start to saute the garlic with the olive oil and butter( or more olive oil if you would like this dairy-free) in a large saucepan. Add the  Cremini (a.k.a.. Baby Bella) mushrooms and stir while browning.

Drizzle 1/4 cup of white wine to mushrooms and allow to evaporate. Top mushrooms with fresh thyme then layer it with 2 cups of baby spinach. Remove from heat and stir spinach into mushroom mixture as it  wilts.

Gently stir into rice and its ready for serving!

Here is the meal it accompanied. Perfect! The carrots and lamb loin chops purchased at the local farmer’s market were a perfect match for this Sunday dinner.!

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Savory Mushroom Risotto

Prep time:  5 mins

Cook time:  25 mins

Total time:  30 mins

Serves: 6-8 servings

This should be started approximately 30 minutes before serving for its best presentation. Spinach is optional, but you could replace that with fresh (thin) asparagus spears that have been lightly steamed yet still firm. Cut into 1 inch pieces. Stir in with mushroom mixture.

Ingredients

• Saucepan:
• 2 T. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, pressed
• 1½ c. Arborio rice
• ¼ c. dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio...)
• 4-5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• In Skillet:
• 2 T. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 T. unsalted butter(or 2 T. of olive oil)
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 16 oz. sliced Baby Bella(Cremini) mushrooms
• ¼ c. dry white wine
• 1 T. fresh thyme leaves(1 t. dried may be substituted.)
• 2 c. spinach(optional)
• ½ c. shaved parmesan cheese
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 T. fresh lemon juice
• 2 T. chopped Italian(flat) parsley

Instructions

1. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter/oil at medium heat in a medium saucepan.
2. Saute 2 cloves of pressed garlic until barely golden, about 1-2 minutes.
3. Add rice to pan. Toss to coat with butter/oil and garlic.
4. Pour ¼ cup wine into pan to help deglaze any luscious residue of butter/oil/garlic.
5. As the wine evaporates, add 1 cup of broth, stirring gently.
6. Add ½ cup of broth as this evaporates and absorbs into rice.
7. Continue to repeat the process until the rice exhibits a soft and creamy texture, about 15-20 minutes.
8. In a medium skillet, add 2 tablespoons of butter/oil.
9. Add pressed garlic and saute until lightly golden, 1-2 minutes.
10. Add sliced Cremini mushrooms and brown; drizzle another ¼ cup of wine towards the end and let it evaporate.
11. Sprinkle thyme over mushrooms.
12. (Optional) Top mushrooms with spinach and gently stir an allow to wilt.
13. Transfer to the risotto pan with the addition of parmesan cheese, parsley, salt and pepper.
14. Drizzle lemon juice over before serving.

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