Mushroom Risotto

I am frequently asked if my family cooks a turkey on Thanksgiving or if we stick with a typical and festive Italian meal like lasagna or braciola on the big day. Of course we cook turkey! It's one of my favorite holidays and while we "Italianize" the bird by dressing it heavily with Italian herbs and spices, there’s definitely a turkey on our dinner table!
 
As with everything we do, we bring a bit of Italy to it. Our side dishes are typically very Italian, like broccoli rabe, parmigiano mash potatoes, stuffed mushrooms and my personal favorite, mushroom risotto. Being fall and mushroom season, mushroom dishes are very popular during this time of year in Italy. Here is a simple, yet delicious recipe that would make a great side to the star of the table on the big day. 

Mushroom Risotto
5 – 6 cups of vegetable stock made from 1 vegetable bullion cube (amount is approximate)(keep stock on the heat to keep hot)
1 onion, finely chopped
3 – 4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup of Arborio rice
8 oz mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
¾ cup of dry white wine (any white wine that is not sweet)
½ cup grated parmigiano cheese
Salt to taste
 
Directions:

1. In a medium soup pan, bring about 5 – 6 cups of water to boil. Add one bullion cube. Keep broth hot while making the risotto, you will be using this as your stock.
2. In a large sauté pan, add the onion, butter and oil and simmer over medium heat.
3. After the onion has become translucent, add the rice and sauté for several minutes. Allow the rice to coat with the oil mixture for several minutes.
4.  Add the mushrooms and parsley and cook for several minutes longer.
5. Add the wine and cook off for an additional few minutes, to cook off the wine.
6. When the wine has dried up, add one cup of stock to rice. Allow broth to cook in rice before adding the next cup of stock.
7. Continue the process of adding one cup of stock at a time until rice is fully cooked. Process will take about 20 – 25 minutes.
8. When fully cooked, remove from heat and add the grated parmigiano cheese. Serve hot.

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