Mushroom and Mascarpone Risotto

A couple of weeks ago, I visited my uncle and father. Within an hour of being there, we were swapping recipes. My family is big on food, shocking. My uncle had stacks and stacks of recipes that he had saved from magazines, cooking books, and newspapers. So of course, my father and I had to go through and make copies of all our favorites. One of which is a risotto recipe*. I like, okay love, mascarpone (desserts, savory dishes…it’s perfect in so many ways), so this a natural choice for me.


*Adopted from Cooking Light.

1 ½ cups boiling water

4 ounces mushrooms

14 ounces beef broth

1 cup uncooked Aroborio rice

¾ cup chopped onion (or shallots)

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup dry white wine

¼ cup grated parmigiano cheese

¼ cup mascarpone cheese

1 teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

In a large bowl, combine the boiling water and mushrooms together. Let stand for about 10 minutes and then drain, reserving 1 ¼ cup of the liquid. Chop the mushrooms and set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat the reserved mushroom liquid and beef broth to a boil. Lower heat to bring to a simmer. Keep it warm over low heat.

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray. Add the rice, onion, and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes. Don’t allow to brown too much. Add the wine and cook until the liquid evaporates, only a couple of minutes.

Add 1 cup broth mixture to the rice mixture. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until just about absorbed. Stir occasionally so the rice doesn’t stick to the pan. Add the remaining mixture in ½ cup batches. Place rice into a serving bowl. Add the mushrooms, cheeses, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir until just melted. Serve warm. Top with addition mascarpone if wanted.