Authentic Italian-style risotto cooked the slow and painful way, but oh so worth it. Complements grilled meats and chicken dishes very well. Check the rice by biting into it. It should be slightly al dente (or resist slightly to the tooth but not be hard in the center).

Recipe Summary

prep:
20 mins
cook:
30 mins
total:
50 mins
Servings:
6
Yield:
6 servings
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Ingredients

6
Original recipe yields 6 servings
The ingredient list now reflects the servings specified
Ingredient Checklist

Directions

Instructions Checklist
  • In a saucepan, warm the broth over low heat.

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  • Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the mushrooms, and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove mushrooms and their liquid, and set aside.

  • Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to skillet, and stir in the shallots. Cook 1 minute. Add rice, stirring to coat with oil, about 2 minutes. When the rice has taken on a pale, golden color, pour in wine, stirring constantly until the wine is fully absorbed. Add 1/2 cup broth to the rice, and stir until the broth is absorbed. Continue adding broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring continuously, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente, about 15 to 20 minutes.

  • Remove from heat, and stir in mushrooms with their liquid, butter, chives, and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition Facts

431 calories; protein 11.3g 23% DV; carbohydrates 56.6g 18% DV; fat 16.6g 26% DV; cholesterol 29.3mg 10% DV; sodium 1130.8mg 45% DV. Full Nutrition
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Reviews (2275)

Most helpful positive review

Rating: 5 stars
06/23/2009
In order to get that beautiful, creamy consistency a good risotto is so noted for, I found 15-20 minutes of cooking time was not nearly long enough. The simmering broth must be added little by little, cooked and stirred till it's absorbed, then repeating this step, ladle by ladle of broth, until the risotto is tender but not mushy, the broth is absorbed, and the starches break down resulting in creamy risotto - however long that takes. In my case, it probably took twice as long as the recipe directed, but then I cooked this at moderate heat in order to release the starches slowly. The end result was a creamy risotto with great flavor, the perfect complement to the pork piccata I served it with. Read More
(1755)

Most helpful critical review

Rating: 3 stars
12/22/2010
Very bland, and WAY too many mushrooms. Would be A LOT better with a couple of caramelized onions. Read More
(25)
3318 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 2800
  • 4 star values: 399
  • 3 star values: 89
  • 2 star values: 22
  • 1 star values: 8
Rating: 5 stars
06/23/2009
In order to get that beautiful, creamy consistency a good risotto is so noted for, I found 15-20 minutes of cooking time was not nearly long enough. The simmering broth must be added little by little, cooked and stirred till it's absorbed, then repeating this step, ladle by ladle of broth, until the risotto is tender but not mushy, the broth is absorbed, and the starches break down resulting in creamy risotto - however long that takes. In my case, it probably took twice as long as the recipe directed, but then I cooked this at moderate heat in order to release the starches slowly. The end result was a creamy risotto with great flavor, the perfect complement to the pork piccata I served it with. Read More
(1755)
Rating: 5 stars
03/10/2010
Please do cut the mushrooms in half, I think it was a typo when it was first entered, but you can use any amount of mushroom you desire! Feel free to also adjust the wine to your preference. You can also try different variations to make this a main dish, peas & prociutto, shrimp and asparagus, chicken and mushroom, saffron & seafood... whatever you desire for the last mix in (cooked meat of course)! Optionally, you can add some tarragon to this and add more broth if you like it "soupy". It's fantastic! Those saying that it takes longer than 20 minutes to cook, that is because your cooking heat is too low and/or your broth is not hot enough (should not be boiling, but should be hot and kept over low-medium heat). When you add the broth, it should be boiling when it hits the risotto. It should take about 2 minutes for your broth to be fully absorbed after constant stirring. Hope this helps! Read More
(1617)
Rating: 4 stars
07/21/2006
The best mushroom risotto I've ever eaten was in Valetta, Malta (so good you'd give somebody's left arm for it)and I've been hunting for a good recipe ever since. This recipe is a close second! I've made it twice now, and I've found that I prefer to use about twice as much wine as called for (and of course then cut back on the chicken stock), as well as add a clove of garlic with the shallots (but I love garlic, so this may not be for all). Overall a very good basic recipe with lots of room for customisation. Read More
(839)
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Rating: 5 stars
03/25/2007
Great! With the leftovers I made Risotto al Salto. I shaped about half cup of the cold risotto and pan fry it with olive oil until it is golden brown. About 2-3 minutes per side. Then I sprinkle it with Parmesean cheese, it's delicious! Read More
(279)
Rating: 5 stars
07/16/2009
Served with sides of roasted tomatoes and fresh green beans, this risotto made a gratifying dinner indeed! I will have to remember this recipe when I am entertaining vegetarian guests, although I cannot wait to make it again and top it with seared and caramelized diver scallops. I added a clove of garlic, doubled the amount of wine, and used chicken stock rather than broth. I added only two Tablespoons of butter but did add some extra Parmesan Reggiano. I did not need as much liquid as the recipe noted. If you are new to risotto making be aware that the amount of liquid needed can change each time you make it, so always check your rice as you go along, don’t just blindly follow a recipe or use the amount you used when you made the dish previously. As for being too much work…how much work is stirring really? It only takes one hand and you’ve opened a nice bottle of wine for the risotto so you have one hand free to enjoy a glass as you stir. What could be better than that? Read More
(210)
Rating: 5 stars
12/13/2007
This recipe was fabulous ... well worth the effort of standing and stirring! You can never have too many mushrooms in my book. That "typo" only made it better! ;) I only made one change to the recipe -- because there's an alcoholic in the house, I substituted the wine for white grape juice and it was really good! I found that the risotto was actually even better the next day for lunch, too. It reheats really well in the microwave with a dampish paper towel over the top. Read More
(206)
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Rating: 4 stars
08/03/2007
This was a fantastic recipe for my first attempt at making risotto. I did cut back on the amount of mushrooms. I used 8 oz sliced white and 8 oz. sliced baby bellas. We don't drink wine and I didn't want to buy a bottle and just use 1/2 cup, so I omitted the wine and used chicken broth in its place. Do be prepared to literally stand at the stove and stir for 20 minutes, though. I wasn't able to get away from it for more than a few seconds at a time or it would start to stick. This made an elegant dinner paired with Sensational Sirloin Kabobs from this site. Read More
(183)
Rating: 5 stars
04/26/2007
Soooo good! Will make again and again! Find the perfect balance for heat - not hot enough and you'll be standing at the stove for ages getting the thing to cook, too hot and it will stick to the bottom of the pan. Read More
(162)
Rating: 5 stars
04/17/2007
This recipe was fantastic. I made it for a group of friends, abd they could barely talk they were so busy shoving it in. A few changes. I agree about adding garlic, at least as personal preference goes. In addition, I used an extra 1/8 cup of cheese, went with a 1/2 cup less muchrooms, and right before serving, threw in about two tsp of freshly chopped chives. It livened up the heaviness of the dish just enough to diminsh my guilt! I served it with a chicken roll up and the crowd was delighted. Read More
(139)
Rating: 3 stars
12/22/2010
Very bland, and WAY too many mushrooms. Would be A LOT better with a couple of caramelized onions. Read More
(25)
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