Baby Bella Mushroom Risotto

This Baby Bella Mushroom Risotto is creamy, flavorful, and absolutely delicious. Risotto is surprisingly easy to make, and only takes about 30 minutes. It’s perfect for a date night in or nice dinner with friends at home.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Baby Bella Mushroom Risotto may seem intimidating to make, but it’s surprisingly easy. It requires minimal prep work and about 20 minutes of stirring a handful of ingredients together.

The flavor and texture of this risotto is sure to impress. The earthy and meaty flavor from the mushrooms pairs perfectly with the creamy risotto for a cozy meal.

It’s the perfect comfort food and can easily be made vegetarian or even vegan.

Ingredients

• Arborio Rice: This type of rice is a must-use for risotto. Arborio rice is high in starch, that releases as it is cooked with liquid, to create that creamy texture you need.
• Baby Bella Mushrooms: I love using Baby Bella (or Cremini) mushrooms in risotto for the best flavor. They are more flavorful, earthy, and meatier than the more common white button mushrooms.
• Shallot and Garlic: Dice or mince the shallot for the risotto, and mince the garlic to cook with the mushrooms.
• Dry White Wine: A simple, dry white wine is best for risotto. You just need half a cup, so pour yourself a glass to enjoy while you cook!
• Low Sodium Chicken or Vegetable Broth: I prefer low sodium broth in this dish, as there is already a ton of flavor from the wine, shallot, mushrooms, and parmesan cheese. You’ll need to warm the broth to use in the risotto.
• Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated is best! When you freshly grate the cheese it incorporates and melts much better than using store-bought grated cheese. The tangy and nutty flavor of the parmesan cheese bring this risotto to the next level, so it’s best not to leave this out, unless you are making it vegan.
• Olive Oil: To sauté the shallots, as well as a drizzle for the mushrooms.
• Parsley: Fresh Parsley for serving (or dried if that’s what you have available).

Step-By-Step Instructions

For the Mushrooms

1. In a large sauté pan, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic, and cook about 1 minute until fragrant and golden.
2. Add in mushrooms and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and sightly browned. Set aside.

For the Risotto

1. In a heavy medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add shallots, and sauté until softened and translucent. About 1-2 minutes.
2. Add arborio rice and sauté stirring about 1-2 minutes until coated in the oil.
3. Add wine and stir occasionally until absorbed.
4. Slowly ladle in warm broth, 1/2 cup at a time stirring often until each is absorbed. It should simmer, not boil. Adjust the heat accordingly. This should take about 20 minutes. It should be creamy, but al dente. Add more broth if needed.
5. Remove from heat and stir in parmesan cheese and cooked baby bella mushrooms.
6. Serve immediately topped with parsley and more parmesan cheese. (optional)

Tips for Making Risotto

• Prepare all the ingredients before you start cooking the risotto.
• Do not boil risotto- you just want it to gently simmer.
• Stir, Stir, Stir! Be sure you stir this often (but not constantly) to release the natural starches of the rice and also to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. It’s best not to walk away from this while cooking.
• Cook until creamy and al dente. Do not overcook risotto, or it’ll be mushy.
• Save your add-ins until the end. If they’re vegetables that need to be cooked, make them in a separate pan and then stir into the risotto.
• Make it vegan by simply leaving out the parmesan cheese.

Risotto Variations

You can replace the baby bella mushrooms in this recipe with these other options for a different type of risotto. Stir these in once the risotto is cooked.

• Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic. Serve topped with fresh basil.
• Sautéed Asparagus and Peas. Serve topped with lemon zest.

Serving Suggestions

Serve mushroom risotto with a simple side salad and fresh crusty bread. To make it into a complete meal, serve it with scallops, salmon, shrimp or chicken. If you want to round it out, serve with your favorite roasted or sautéed vegetables.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

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