Mushroom and Pea Risotto (Easy One Pan)

Name: Mushroom and Pea Risotto
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 11oz / 400g mushrooms (I've used brown mushrooms); 1 medium leek sliced; 2-3 garlic cloves diced; 2-3 tbsp olive oil; 1 ½ cups arborio rice; ½ cup dry white wine; 6.5 cups heated vegetable stock; 2oz / 50g parmesan cheese; 1 cup frozen green peas; Salt and cracked black pepper; Red pepper flakes (optional)

What is Risotto?

Risotto is an Italian rice dish, where the rice is cooked slowly with broth. Its made with a specific short grain rice called arborio rice which is quite starchy and becomes a lovely creamy consistency once cooked

Ingredients and Substitutions

Mushrooms, well of course are needed to make this dish. Here I've used brown mushrooms, also known as swiss brown mushrooms or cremini mushrooms, and my favourite name is “baby bella’s” as they are like mini portobello mushrooms. They have a super creamy texture and much more of an umami flavour compared to white button mushrooms

Arborio rice is the specific short grain rice you need to use when making risotto. It's sometimes actually labeled as risotto rice or carnaroli and has a high starch content compared to regular rice

Leek is sauteed bringing a lovely subtle sweetness to the dish. You can of course use an onion instead or even shallots would be great

Garlic, because well….no need for an explanation 😊

Dry white wine is added when you are toasting the rice for sweet acidity. It can be any dry white wine such as pinot grigio or a sauvignon blanc. The alcohol content is cooked off, however, if you prefer to keep it alcohol free, add a good squeeze of lemon juice instead and continue to the next step of adding the stock

Vegetable broth is my preferred stock to keep it vegetarian. You can of course use chicken broth too

Green peas, you can use fresh but I always use frozen peas. I try to find sweet green peas for more flavour. You can also use spinach, kale, or even asparagus. I‘ve made it with all 3 substitutes and love them all

Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (parmesan cheese) is added at the end to make it ultra creamy. Fresh is always best! Finely grate the cheese to avoid it clumping. You can also use pecorino romano as a substitute

Garnish, I love to add red pepper flakes upon serving. Fresh herbs such as thyme or fresh parsley would look and taste great too

Extra virgin olive oil is always my preferred oil to cook with. A lot of recipes call for butter, but I’m an olive oil girl with all my cooking. Feel free to add butter if you like

How to make Mushroom and Pea Risotto

Here are the simple steps to make this creamy bowl of comfort.

Mushroom risotto with peas how to make steps

Saute sliced mushrooms over high heat until browned. Then remove from the pan and set aside

Add leek and garlic and saute for a few minutes

Change to medium heat, add arborio rice and toast for a few minutes, then pour in some white wine

When the wine is almost evaporated, commence adding one ladle of vegetable stock at a time and stir it through until the liquid has been absorbed. Repeat this process until you’re close to the end of the stock (approx 15 minutes)

In the end, the risotto should be al dente and creamy like in the photo. If it's still crunchy or uncooked, you may need 1-2 more cups of stock

Add parmesan cheese and stir through with a ladle of stock

Add peas and stir through

Finally, finish off by adding the mushrooms back in. Stir through and it's ready to serve with some additional parmesan cheese and chili if you like it spicy

Mushroom pea risotto served topped with chilli and parmesan

Tips and Tricks

When sauteing the mushrooms, cook on high heat, and don't add salt until they’re almost fully cooked. This will ensure they don't become watery. Here are more tips on sauteing mushrooms

Ensure your vegetable broth is heated before adding it to the risotto. If you use cold stock, this will cool down the risotto and will increase your cooking time

Add one ladle of vegetable stock at a time. If you add too much in, this will make a mushy risotto. Slowly stir and add more once most of the liquid has been absorbed

Keep tasting the rice as you're cooking it. Different brands of rice and stove strengths can alter the amount of stock and cooking time. If it's still crunchy or raw, it will need more stock. Once its al dente, it's nearly done

FAQs

How long does risotto keep?

Store any leftover risotto in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days

How to reheat leftover risotto?

If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, it's best to reheat in a saucepan with a splash of water or extra vegetable broth with the lid on for a few minutes. The microwave will dry out the risotto