Mushroom and Parmesan Risotto

You know how everyone has that one go-to recipe they've perfected, whether it's a simple spaghetti dish or something as complex as a soufflé? Well, mushroom risotto is definitely that dish for me. A few years ago, I found a great recipe online and ever since then, I cook mushroom risotto all the time! 

While I use this delicious recipe as a base (it's the best one I've found), I’m not very good at following any recipe too closely. Over time, I've dropped a couple of ingredients from the original recipe and added a few of my own to make it more suited to my tastebuds. Feel free to make this recipe your own by adding extra seasoning, more vegetables or a different type of cheese. Get creative! 

Before you begin, just remember that risotto takes a while to cook, so this is probably not the best recipe for a rushed dinner!

Ingredients 

• 6 cups vegetable broth (divided)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)

• 1 package white or cremini mushrooms (sliced)

• 1 1/2 cup Arborio rice

• 1/2 cup dry white wine

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

• Dash of Italiano seasoning  

Recipe

1. Warm the vegetable broth in a saucepan.

2. While the vegetable broth is heating up, fry the sliced mushrooms in 1 tablespoon of oil at medium heat. After a few minutes, remove the mushrooms from heat and set aside in a bowl with the liquid from the pan (this will give the risotto more flavour later on).

3. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan and stir in the Arborio rice, making sure the oil coats the rice. Next, add the wine and stir until it's absorbed. 

4. Add 1/2 cup of vegetable broth to the rice and stir until absorbed. Continue to add 1/2 cup of broth at a time, waiting until the rice has absorbed the broth before adding more. It should take approximately 25-30 minutes to add all 6 cups of broth (slow and steady with this part - it's not a cooking race).

5. Turn the heat down low. Add butter and stir. Then add mushrooms, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and pepper, stirring continuously. Leave on low for a couple of minutes to thoroughly absorb the flavours and melt the cheese. 

6. Remove from heat and serve hot! 

This risotto recipe is perfect for a chilly winter evening and pairs well with a glass of white wine.

What's your favourite risotto recipe? What is the go-to meal that you've perfected? Feel free to share in the comments below!