risotto ai funghi

Risotto ai funghi with earthy mushrooms and creamy Arborio rice, ready in 39 minutes. Comforting, one-pan Italian dinner—no cream needed.

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Total Time 39

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Calories: 410

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

Risotto

1.5 cup Arborio rice
300 g fresh mushrooms cremini or a mix, sliced
1 unit onion small, finely chopped
2 clove garlic minced
4 cup vegetable broth kept hot
0.5 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
0.5 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated, plus more for serving
0.25 teaspoon salt add more to taste
0.25 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped, for finishing

Method

Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onion looks translucent, about 3–4 minutes.
Stir in the minced garlic and cook another 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Don’t let it brown.
Add the sliced mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to let off their juices and turn golden, about 6–8 minutes. They shrink a lot, so don’t panic if the pan seems crowded at first.
Pour in the rice and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes—you want each grain shiny and coated with fat.
Raise the heat slightly, then pour in the wine. It might sizzle. Stir until most of the liquid evaporates—this only takes a minute or two.
Lower the heat to medium-low. Start adding the warm broth about half a cup at a time, stirring gently and waiting until it’s mostly absorbed before adding more. This helps make the risotto creamy without adding extra cream. Keep an eye on the heat—if it bubbles too hard, lower it. Don’t rush this step; it takes about 18–20 minutes total.
Taste a spoonful of rice after 18 minutes: you want it creamy but with a little bite inside—like al dente pasta. If it’s still too hard, add a little more broth or hot water and check again in a couple minutes.
When the rice is just right, turn off the heat. Stir in the remaining butter and all the parmesan. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. I usually add half the salt first, stir, then taste before adding more.
Serve immediately, topped with more parmesan and the chopped parsley. If you like it a little looser, stir in a splash of hot broth right before serving.

Notes

I always make risotto ai funghi on weeknights when I want something a little cozy but still achievable. The mushrooms do most of the heavy lifting in terms of flavor, so you don't need anything fancy.

Tips that actually make a difference

Keep your broth hot. Cold or room-temperature broth cools down the rice each time you add it, which slows cooking and messes with the texture. Just set a small pot on low and keep it simmering.

If you want chewy, golden mushrooms instead of soggy ones, don't salt them until after they're browned. Salt pulls water out and makes them steam rather than sauté. Sounds subtle, but it makes a big difference.

I only stir as much as needed to prevent sticking — not constantly, like some grandmas say. Too much stirring makes the rice gluey instead of creamy.

Substitutions and variations

You can use almost any mushrooms, but honestly, plain cremini are just as good as exotic ones. I wouldn't use white button mushrooms — they end up bland and spongy. If you want to use dried porcini, soak a small handful in hot water, then chop and add with the fresh mushrooms. Use the soaking liquid (strained) as part of your broth for more mushroom flavor.

Short grain rice like Arborio or Carnaroli is a must. Long grain rice just doesn't get that creamy texture, so I don't recommend swapping it.

Make-ahead and storage

Risotto is best straight from the pot. If you do need to reheat, add a splash of broth or water to loosen it up and heat gently. It's also great for arancini — fried risotto balls — if you've got leftovers. Just chill, shape, and roll them in some breadcrumbs before frying or air frying.