Cooking is a great thing to do as a couple.
You get to engage all your senses: take in the brilliant colors of fresh vegetables, listen to the sounds of chopping and sizzling, smell the aromas of herbs and spices, and of course you get to taste the delicious product at the end. Cooking let’s you practice being in the moment together.
Makinggood food is a lot like a relationship as well, you need the flavors to balance and compliment each other for the best result. If one flavor is too dominant, the dish just won’t be as good. It takes teamwork to cook as a couple too, negotiating who will chop the veggies and who will get the water boiling, and who will clean up after it’s all done.
Cooking a romantic dinner for two is an awesome (and economical) date idea. And who know’s romance better than the Italians? So, for a perfect date night recipe, why not try this beautiful risotto? It’s beautiful, creamy, bursting with flavor, and vegetarian to boot!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 2 cuprisotto rice
- 1 bottle of a dry white wine (2 cups for cooking and the rest for the two of you to split)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp of butter
- 1 onion, diced finely
- 2 cupsvegetable broth
- 1 cup frozen or fresh peas
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 1 handful dried porcinimushrooms
- 3 handfuls of chopped mushrooms, try a mix of oyster, shiitake or portobello for a nice variety of flavors and textures
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tsp dried tarragon
- salt and pepper to taste
Making good risotto is easy, if you give it some patience and attention. Which makes it kind of like a relationship, right? Just give it some love, be in the moment, and you’ll get something awesome in return.
Let’s get down to business:
Start by heating the broth in a deep dish pan. Throw in the dried porcini mushrooms, but only for about two minutes. At this point they should be soft but not soggy and will have imparted some of their flavor to the broth.
Meanwhile, in a separate pan, heat the butter and fry the garlic and onion on low heat. Let them sizzle at a low temperature for about 15 minutes. By then the onion should be soft and translucent and the garlic fragrant.
Now you can add the rice to the butter and onion. Turn the heat up to high and let it sizzle. Keep stirring it constantly so that the rice doesn’t burn. Add the wine one cup at a time and wait for the liquid to be absorbed fully before adding more. At this point you can begin ladling the boiling broth into the rice. Be patient and let each ladle full absorb before adding the next.
Get another pan out on the stove. I know, this is a lot of pans, but that’s why this is a great recipe for a tag-teaming couple! In this pan, add the chopped mushrooms (whatever type you chose), and get them sizzling. There’s no oil in this pan because you don’t want the mushrooms to get soggy, you just want to heat them through and bring out their nutty and meaty flavors. Add the peas to the pan and let them heat through. This should take only about 3-4minutes. Then, remove the veggies from the heat and set them in a separate dish to cool. Drizzle them with the lemon juice and sprinkle with salt, pepper and the dried tarragon.
As the rice absorbs the last of the liquid, immediately add the Parmesan cheese. Stir it in gently, a little at a time. This helps the risotto get its beautiful smooth texture that’s just ever so slightly cheesy. Here you can stir in the baby spinach as well. It will wilt just enough from the heat of the rice and cheese. Take it off the heat, and let the risotto sit for at least three minutes.
Now we’re ready to serve! Put a dollop of the risotto on each plate, top with the mushrooms, and serve it all up with a glass of wine and maybe some candles.
Have a magical date night!
~
~
Love elephant and want to go steady?
Sign up for our (curated) daily and weekly newsletters!
~
Apprentice Editor: Kathryn Muyskens / Editor: Travis May
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
FAQs
What to serve with Mushroom Risotto
- CRISPY Herb Baked Chicken with Gravy.
- Crispy Pan Fried Fish – or serve this as the main with the Mushroom risotto on the side.
- Garlic Prawns (Shrimp!)
- Roast Chicken – or a Slow Cooker Roast Chicken.
- Pork Roast with Crispy Crackling.
- Standing Rib Roast (Prime Rib) or Marinated Roast Beef.
A crispy, skillet-cooked chicken thigh on top of a bowl of risotto most definitely makes it a hearty meal. While sliced chicken breast works too, the crackly skin from a chicken thigh is a wonderful contrast to the creamy risotto.
What to eat with risotto vegetarian? ›
As a main dish, all your creamy vegan risotto needs is a salad side dish and your favorite bread recipe like this Focaccia Bread. Sometimes I want a change from potato and rice side dishes for meals and serve this one instead. It makes the perfect pair with white bean burgers and crispy tofu strips.
How many calories are in wild mushroom risotto? ›
Mushroom risotto
| Nutrient | Unit |
|---|
| kcal | 445 |
| fat | 17g |
| saturates | 7.7g |
| carbs | 63g |
4 more rowsGreat risotto cannot be made with long-grain rice, such as Basmati or Jasmine rice. Sometimes, other grains can be used to make risotto-style dishes, such as barley, farro, buckwheat, and quinoa.
What can I add to risotto to make it taste better? ›
Aromatics like shallots, garlic, and thyme build layers of flavor, while gradually adding hot stock as you stir helps coax the starches out of the arborio rice for the creamiest risotto. We love incorporating mushrooms for added flavor, but feel free to make the dish without—or swap in your favorite vegetable!
What is the key to a good risotto? ›
Gradual absorption and constant agitation are the keys to cooking risotto, encouraging the starches to release from the rice and transforming into the dish's trademark creamy consistency. You may not need all of the hot water, but err on the side of soup rather than sludge.
What do Italians eat with risotto? ›
In Italy, when it is not used as a complete meal, risotto is considered a main dish, and is usually served with small portions of meat or light vegetable side dishes. For example, it is very common to pair risotto with a couple of lemon escalopes, or with bresaola and arugula.
What is Gordon Ramsay's recipe for risotto? ›
ingredients
- 1 large shallot, chopped finely.
- 4 tablespoons olive oil.
- 8 ounces baby portabella mushrooms, sliced.
- 10 ounces arborio rice.
- 1⁄2 cup dry white wine.
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth.
- 8 ounces plum tomatoes, skinned, seeded and finely chopped.
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped.
The best side dishes to serve with mushroom risotto are garlic herb butter roasted chicken, salmon with dill, and roast beef. For a lighter option, you could also serve some crunchy green beans, mint soup, or a healthy spinach salad. You can even elevate your risotto course with garlic prawns or a rack of lamb.
It's not really the “death dish”
But after a number of risotto missteps by contestants – such as a savoury strawberry risotto in season one and a number of other risottos that failed dismally – I dubbed risotto the show's “death dish”.
How long does vegetarian risotto last in the fridge? ›
How to Store Risotto? In an airtight container in the fridge, the leftover risotto will stay for 3-5 days. Seafood risotto should only be stored for three days. If you're making the risotto ahead of time, cook it for 10 minutes shorter than usual.
Why is mushroom risotto good for you? ›
Mushrooms contain important minerals such as selenium and potassium. They are low in calories and fat, but very high in fibre so they are perfect for a low-calorie diet. They contain vitamins B and D, are rich in antioxidants that help fight ageing and they help lower cholesterol.
What are the benefits of mushroom risotto? ›
The Nutritional Benefits of Mushroom Risotto
Mushrooms are low in calories, fat-free, and high in fiber, making them a great addition to any healthy diet. Additionally, the arborio rice used in risotto is high in complex carbohydrates, which provide a steady source of energy and can help you feel full for longer.
Is mushroom risotto high in carbs? ›
One serving of Creamy Mushroom Risotto gives 367 calories. Out of which carbohydrates comprise 210 calories, proteins account for 30 calories and remaining calories come from fat which is 129 calories.
What do you serve alongside risotto? ›
For example, pumpkin or mushroom risotto goes well with dairy foods — so you could pair it with a caprese salad or ricotta meatballs. On the other hand, if you want to make something like shrimp risotto, it would be best served with a light salad, green beans, or roasted vegetables.
What dish goes well with risotto? ›
What to Serve With Risotto: 30 + 5 Dishes
- Breads. Garlic Bread. Bruschetta. Crostini. ...
- Proteins. Honey Mustard & Rosemary Chicken. Garlic Butter Shrimp. Cast Iron Skillet Steak. ...
- Veggies & Salads. Caramelized Mushrooms. Roasted Carrots with Thyme. Baked Tomatoes with Cheese. ...
- Drinks: White Wine. Red Wine.
- Desserts. Panna Cotta. Tiramisu.
It is served on flat dishes and should easily spread out but not have excess watery liquid around the perimeter. It must be eaten at once, as it continues to cook in its own heat, making the grains absorb all the liquid and become soft and dry.
