Creamy, rich parmesan risotto paired with earthy mushrooms and bright spring peas. This risotto makes a comforting winter dinner or side!
May I present to you an indulgent Mushroom and Pea Risotto recipe.
Risotto. The comfort dinner of comfort dinners.
The dinner that’s going to keep the holiday cheer going throughout the rest of the year. You know, that awkward time between Christmas and New Years where you still feel like it’s celebration time.
Because it should still be celebration time. And risotto is how we celebrate.
What is Risotto?
Risotto is made with arborio rice, an Italian short-grain rice. The rice is cooked slowly in broth until it becomes ultra-creamy.
It’s often made with a base of onion, garlic, white wine, and parmesan cheese. A heavenly combination.
You can add a variety of vegetables and meat, too. Naturally, mushrooms and peas are a stellar combination for risotto.
Now, risotto gets a bad rap because it’s perceived to be high maintenance. Requiring constant stirring and attention to get the just-right texture.
While yes, you do want to stir it quite often, it’s not as finicky as you might expect. You can step away for a minute, and return to keep stirring. It’s a matter of letting the rice absorb the liquid evenly.
Besides, what’s better than a glass of wine in one hand and a spoon stirring risotto in the other? Nothing, nothing I tell you!
How to Make Mushroom and Pea Risotto
Like any good risotto, mushroom pea risotto starts with diced yellow onion sauteeing in olive oil (you could use butter, too!).
For the mushroom risotto, the mushrooms go in next to begin their browning process. With the mushrooms are tender goes in garlic (of course), some salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes for a bit of a kick.
Next up: the add arborio rice (pictures 1 and 2). It is mixed in with the mushrooms and onion until coated. This allows it to get a bit toasty and ready to start soaking up the…
WINE!
You definitely want to add the wine to deglaze here – as opposed to adding extra broth (picture 3). It adds a depth of flavor to the risotto. And obviously it’s best to have a glass while cooking (did I mention this yet? ;)).
The rice begins to absorb the wine, while you stir.
Bit by bit, you’ll add vegetable broth to the risotto, stirring until the rice absorbs the liquid each time and continues to cook (picture 4).
Once almost all 4 cups of the broth have been added and the liquid is absorbed (after testing for doneness, too – picture 5), you’ll add butter and parmesan (picture 6).
While risotto is naturally creamy on its own, this pair delivers the ultimate creamy, rich texture that all risottos should have (IMO).
Done and done! Top with extra parm and a bit of parsley and dinner is served!
What do I serve with Risotto?
Risotto can be a meal on its own, as it often is in my house. Serve it with a nice side salad for some extra greens and balance and away you go.
For the meat-eaters in your life, risotto is the perfect side for a nice steak, fish, or lobster main.
Roast up some whole carrots or Brussels sprouts for an extra veggie-tastic meal.
Looking for more risotto recipes? Try these!
Print
Mushroom Pea Risotto
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Prep Time: 10 minutes -
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Cook Time: 30 minutes -
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Total Time: 40 minutes -
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Yield: 4-6 servings
Prep Time:
Yield:
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Savory, creamy, and rich – this risotto is a winner! Devour it as your main dish or a side to meat, and enjoy it with a glass of wine!
Ingredients
- 4–6 cups vegetable broth
- 3 TBSP olive oil
- 1 cup yellow onion, finely diced
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- Dash of red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 12–14 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cups Arborio rice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded + more for garnish
- 1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup)
- Parsley, chopped
Instructions
- To clean mushrooms: wet half of a towel (that you don’t mind getting dirty) and ring out. Place the mushrooms on the towel and rub to remove the dirt. You do not want to rinse the mushrooms, they will absorb all the water and therefore won’t absorb all of the yummy flavors you’ll be cooking them in!
- In a medium saucepan, add the vegetable broth and heat on medium-low to warm.
- Heat a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Once oil is heated, add onions and sauté for approximately 2 minutes. Add minced garlic and sauté for another minute. Add in a dash of red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper. Add the mushrooms to stockpot and sauté for 4-6 minutes until browned and tender.
- Add rice to the stockpot and stir until coated with mushroom and onion mixture. Stir in the white wine and continue stirring until mostly absorbed, 1-2 minutes. Continue adding additional broth, approximately 1/2 cup at a time, stirring between each addition until the liquid is absorbed.
- After you have poured in approximately 3 1/2 cups of broth total, test for doneness – this will give you a baseline for how much more broth you need to add. I usually do around 4 cups total. You do not want the rice to be crunchy, and want to avoid it becoming mushy. Once you have reached al dente rice, add the peas and stir to combine.
- Remove from heat. Stir in parmesan and butter until melted and incorporated. Serve risotto and garnish with parsley and additional parmesan as desired.
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Category: Dinner![]()
Method: Stovetop![]()
Cuisine: Italian
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Cuisine:Keywords: vegetarian, meatless, comfort, winter
This post was originally published in August 2015, the images and text were updated in December 2019.
The post Mushroom Pea Risotto appeared first on Fork in the Kitchen.