For Meatless Monday, that is.  Or just about any other time.  I didn’t always know the specifics about risotto, let alone the difference between the rice types (thanks Appetite: A Hunger for Italy by Elena Bertozzi!)  Arborio (a good risotto rice) seems easy enough to find in most grocery stories, but I had to search a bit to find Carnaroli (the best risotto rice).

I tried a few different risotti and haven’t found a bad one yet.  Another favorite is a butternut squash risotto that was quite flavorful.  Last year, when we tried a portobello mushroom growing kit (with prolific results!) we needed to find recipes to use up all those portobellos.  The source recipe was ok, but it seemed as though the measurements were off. (Perhaps a bit too little rice and too much cheese?  It seemed to throw the consistency off.)  Regardless, I was bound to try again with some modifications of my own, and ended up with a much more flavorful result. I made this in a wok- perhaps not the most Italian method.  I also didn’t add any extra salt, since the stock is a main source of saltiness.  I also cut a bit of the fat by taking out the heavy cream and used skim instead of whole milk.  Don’t worry!  I left the butter!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons EVOO

2 tablespoons butter

1 large white onion

1 clove garlic, crushed

16 oz fresh mushrooms, chopped (I used small portobellos)

1 cup white wine

1 cup skim milk

2 cups Arborio (or Carnaroli, if you can find it) rice

6 cups vegetable or chicken stock

1 cup grated fresh Parmesan

rosemary, thyme, pepper, salt, and parsley to taste

Warm the pan and add olive oil.  Cook the onion and garlic over medium heat until the onion is translucent and the garlic is slightly browned.  Add the butter.  Once it is melted, turn the heat down a bit, and add the mushrooms.  Add the white wine, rosemary, thyme, pepper, salt, and parsley.  Cook until the mushrooms soften, and add the milk and the rice.  Add the first cup of stock and stir until it is nearly absorbed completely.  Repeat until all six cups of stock have been used.  (The stirring each cup of stock into the rice is partly what adds to the creaminess of the dish- versus adding all the stock at once and cooking it down.)  When the rice is done, add the Parmesan and serve.

Enjoy!