mushroom risotto



As you all well know, I have zero Italian origins. Even though I love Italian food, I have been reluctant to post Italian recipes because I do not consider them my forte and some people do it much better than I do. However, given the exceptional circumstances and as a tribute to our suffering Italian friends, I am sharing my take on an Italian classic, risotto. My version is more "facile" since I am using a bouillon cube and boiling water as opposed to making a separate vegetable bouillon. Instead of mushrooms, I sometimes use asparagus or the classic sofrito made with onion, carrots and celery.

Ingredients (serves 4):

2 cups Arborio rice
1 box fresh mushrooms, washed and cut in slices
50g butter
1/2 cup grated fresh parmigiano
1/2 cup dry white wine (pinot grigio is fine)
1 vegetable bouillon cube
1/2 onion, finely chopped

In a frying pan, heat some butter. Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook on high until all the water has evaporated and the mushrooms have a nice golden brown color, which takes about 10 minutes.



Boil some water in a kettle.

In a large saucepan, heat some butter. Add the chopped onion and cook for a few minutes, until it gets a nice gold color. Add the rice and mix well. Cook on low until the rice becomes translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add the white wine, mix and cook until the wine has fully evaporated. Add the bouillon cube and about one cup of boiling water. Add around half of the cooked mushrooms and keep the rest for serving. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Mix well and cook until most the water has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add water, one cup at a time, until the rice is cooked al dente, about 20-25 minutes in total. Remember to stir constantly as the rice cooks.

Once the rice is cooked, mix in about 2 tbsp of butter and 2tbsp of parmesan.

Serve with the remaining mushrooms and some more parmesan on top.