For those who love when a post starts with a story, this one is quite simple. Some perfectly sauteed mushrooms walked into a classic risotto with wine to create a comforting side dish with so much flavor. The end.
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Well…not really “the end” because sharing a porcini mushroom risotto recipe is the whole point here. Follow along to see how easy it is to make a mushroom risotto dish that is rich, creamy and meaty.
Without having to stir it non-stop. Which is great if you want to serve it when entertaining and you don’t want to be stuck at the stove.
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You can serve risotto for a party
In addition to being a super yummy meatless main course, I love serving mushroom risotto as a side dish for Italian mains like herb pork roast or beef tenderloin. I even do this for small gatherings by making the risotto earlier in the day and refrigerating it.
I have an easy technique that involves reserving a bit of stock to stir in right before serving. Just like that…the mushroom risotto is back to its creamy dreamy self ready for dinner. All the step by steps are in the recipe card below.
No fail porcini mushroom risotto success
A few key steps in this recipe help guarantee perfect risotto:
- Use a combination of fresh and dried mushrooms. I use mini portobellos and dried porcinis.
- For a firmer texture, thickly slice the mushrooms before sauteing.
- Saute the mushrooms first in a combination of butter and oil before stirring into the cooked risotto. The mushrooms end up more flavorful, crisper with a gorgeous golden color.
- For layers of mushroom flavor, use the strained liquid from hydrating the dried mushrooms as part of the stock base.
Ingredient highlights
Mushrooms. I hinted above that I selected portobellos and dried porcinis. They were chosen for their bold, meaty flavor and hearty texture. Fresh porcinis can be hard to find, and honestly? The dried ones pack way more punch and help build that rich mushroom stock I mentioned earlier.
Rice. Arborio is my go-to—it cooks up creamy with a firm bite. Carnaroli works too, but it’s not always easy to find.
Wine. White wine gives this mushroom risotto a little tang and depth, but you can totally make risotto without wine—still just as creamy and satisfying.
The best mushroom risotto starts with good prep
Let’s start with mushroom prep. The gist is to clean the mushrooms really well because no one wants to bite into grit and dirt. Thoroughly wipe each mushroom with a damp paper towel.
1. Rehydrate porcini
2. Saute
Adding raw mushrooms to cook in the arborio would result in soggy, flavorless mushrooms. Instead, I like to saute the mushrooms first and then toast the rice in the mushroom bits to add another layer of flavor.
3. Make risotto
Final notes: how to keep risotto creamy (not clumpy)
This risotto uses 5 cups of stock—but you’ll only use 4 while it’s cooking. The final cup gets stirred in right before serving for that perfectly loose texture that puddles on the plate (which is exactly what you want).
I also save that last cup when I’m making risotto ahead of time—it helps bring everything back to life without turning it gluey.
And if you’re new to risotto or want a refresher, these rules are non-negotiables for that signature creamy finish:
- Don’t rinse the rice. You want the starch—it’s what gives risotto that velvety feel.
- Warm your stock. Cold broth slows things down and messes with the texture.
- Stir… but don’t babysit. Stir after each ladle, then let it gently do its thing.
- Sauté mushrooms separately. Stir them in at the end so they stay golden, not soggy.
- Add a bit of butter. This adds richness and shine.
- Finish loose. If your risotto is sitting up like mashed potatoes, you’re not done—add more stock and stir. It should gently spread out when served.
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Creamy Portobello and Porcini Mushroom Risotto
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Ingredients
- 1 oz dried porcini mushrooms
- 3 cups water, boiled
- 1 T olive oil
- 4 T butter , divided
- 8 oz portobello mushrooms, sliced into ⅓ or ¼, depending on size
- 1 shallot, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 ½ cups vegetable stock , heated in a saucepan separately over low
- 1 cup arborio rice, can use carnaroli rice
- ½ c white wine
- 1 tsp salt, more to taste
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1/2-1 cup Parmesan cheese
- fresh chopped parsley, if desired for garnish
Instructions
Prep the porcinis
- Add porcinis to a 4 cup glass measuring cup or heat proof bowl. Pour over boiling water and reconstitute for 20 minutes. Set a fine mesh strainer over a bowl large enough to collect the liquid below. Pour the mushrooms into the strainer and use the back of a wooden spoon to gently press on the mushrooms, straining out any excess liquid, without "smooshing" them. Set the liquid aside.1 oz dried porcini mushrooms, 3 cups water
- Transfer the mushrooms to a couple of pieces of paper towel and cover with another. Roughly chop the porcinis.
Saute the mushrooms
- To a straight sided skillet with a lid, heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and 1 Tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat, until melted. Add in the sliced portobellos and chopped porcinis and saute, stirring so the mushrooms are coated with the butter and oil. Season with salt and pepper.Continue to saute until any water in the pan evaporates (about 5 minutes) and then another 2-3 minutes or so until you're left with beautiful golden mushrooms. Remove the mushrooms from the pan to a paper towel lined plate (just in case) and set aside.1 T olive oil, 4 T butter, 8 oz portobello mushrooms
Make the risotto
- Heat the stock in a medium saucepan over medium heat then lower to simmer. Add in enough reserved mushroom stock to make another 2 ½ cups (some of the water might have been absorbed by the mushrooms). You want the broth gently simmering,not boiling.2 ½ cups vegetable stock
- In a wide pan (with a lid) over medium heat, add 1 Tablespoon of butter and 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté the shallot for about 2-3 minutes. You don't want to brown the shallot, just cook until translucent. At this point, add in the garlic and quickly sauté for about 30 seconds or until you can smell it.1 shallot, 3 cloves garlic
- Pour in the rice and stir with a wooden spoon to toast, about 3-4 minutes. Watch your heat so the shallot and garlic don't brown too much.1 cup arborio rice
- Pour in white wine and stir the rice for 2 minutes until the pan is almost dry. Don't rush this part – lower the heat if the wine is cooking away too quickly.1/2 c white wine
Broth/stirring process
- Using a 4 oz. ladle (1/2 cup), add in 1 ladle of stock along with the salt and pepper. For the first few rounds of additions, stir pretty continuously with a wooden spoon, until the stock is absorbed by the rice and the pan is almost dry. This should take about 2-3 minutes per ladle of stock.The reason for all the to stirring is so the grains bump up against each other, and release more starch which helps makes the risotto creamy.1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper
- Repeat this process with each ladle of stock. When you get to about the 6th addition of stock, you don't need to stir as much. This is where I'll cover the pan for about 1 minutes to release some steam into the risotto before adding the next ladle full.
- Stop adding stock when you have about 1 cup of stock left in the warming saucepan. Reserve this stock for right before serving or if you're making the risotto ahead of time.Stir in the mushrooms until incorporated in the risotto.This whole process should take about 20 minutes.
Finishing
- Remove the risotto from the heat. Stir in the remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter and stir until melted. Stir in the remaining warmed stock if you're serving immediately. Taste for seasoning. Stir in the parmesan cheese until incorporated and correct for seasoning.1/2-1 cup Parmesan cheese, fresh chopped parsley
If making ahead
- You can keep the mushrooms separate from the risotto until the addition of the last cup. I have also sauteed them quickly right before adding them to the premade risotto. Totally up to you!After finishing risotto with butter per the above instruction, refrigerate the risotto in a airtight container. Right before serving, heat the remaining cup or so of stock (you might need a bit more). Add the risotto to a clean pan and gently warm over low-medium heat. (If you're worried about the risotto sticking to the pan, feel free to melt a little butter first or add in a touch of stock. Stir in warmed stock and finish with more parmesan and seasoning, if needed.
