Mushroom Risotto With Peas Recipe • 5★

By Martha Rose Shulman

Updated January 22, 2024

Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

If you are ever at a loss for what to make for an impromptu dinner party, especially if there will be vegetarians at the table, consider this luxurious mushroom risotto. I added peas because I wanted to introduce some color, and also because the sweetness of the peas fits right in with the flavors of this dish. But this satisfying, elegant dish is fine without peas, too. You’ll get a vibrant dash of green from the parsley added at the end of cooking.

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6 to 7 cups chicken, vegetable or garlic broth or stock, as needed

Salt and black pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup finely chopped onion, or 2 shallots, minced

¾ to 1 pound wild mushrooms, cleaned if necessary and torn or sliced into smaller pieces if thick (small wild mushrooms should be left whole, mushrooms like maitake can just be separated into small pieces)

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or chopped sage

1 ½ cups arborio or carnaroli rice

½ cup dry white wine, such as pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc

1 cup frozen peas, thawed (optional)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, or a mixture of Parmesan and Pecorino Romano

Step 1Bring stock or broth to a simmer in a saucepan, with a ladle nearby. Make sure stock is well seasoned, and keep it simmering on the stove.

Bring stock or broth to a simmer in a saucepan, with a ladle nearby. Make sure stock is well seasoned, and keep it simmering on the stove.

Step 2Heat oil in a wide, heavy nonstick skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add onions or shallots and cook gently until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes.

Heat oil in a wide, heavy nonstick skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add onions or shallots and cook gently until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes.

Step 3Turn up heat and add mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until they begin to sweat, about 3 minutes, then add garlic and thyme or sage. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Season mushrooms with salt and pepper and continue to cook over medium heat until they are soft. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Turn up heat and add mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until they begin to sweat, about 3 minutes, then add garlic and thyme or sage. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Season mushrooms with salt and pepper and continue to cook over medium heat until they are soft. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Step 4Add rice and stir until grains begin to crackle. Add wine and cook, stirring, until wine is no longer visible in pan. Stir in enough simmering stock to just cover the rice. The stock should bubble slowly. Cook, stirring often and vigorously, until stock is just about absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of stock and continue cooking, not too fast and not too slowly, stirring often and adding more stock when rice is almost dry, for 15 minutes.

Add rice and stir until grains begin to crackle. Add wine and cook, stirring, until wine is no longer visible in pan. Stir in enough simmering stock to just cover the rice. The stock should bubble slowly. Cook, stirring often and vigorously, until stock is just about absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of stock and continue cooking, not too fast and not too slowly, stirring often and adding more stock when rice is almost dry, for 15 minutes.

Step 5Add peas, if using, and continue adding stock and stirring for another 10 minutes. Rice should be tender all the way through but still al dente. Taste now and adjust seasoning.

Add peas, if using, and continue adding stock and stirring for another 10 minutes. Rice should be tender all the way through but still al dente. Taste now and adjust seasoning.

Step 6Add another ladleful or two of stock to rice. Stir in parsley and Parmesan, and remove from heat. Season with black pepper and serve right away in wide soup bowls or on plates.

Add another ladleful or two of stock to rice. Stir in parsley and Parmesan, and remove from heat. Season with black pepper and serve right away in wide soup bowls or on plates.

Advance preparation: You can begin up to several hours before serving: proceed with the recipe and cook halfway through Step 4, for about 10 minutes. The rice should still be hard in the middle when you remove it from the heat, and there should not be any liquid in the pan. Spread it in an even layer in the pan or on a baking sheet and keep it away from the heat until you resume cooking. 15 minutes before serving, resume cooking as instructed.

it was a revelation to separate the two parts of the recipe - making the risotto with the sautéed minced shallots and stock, but sauteeing the mushrooms and additional sliced shallots separately, stirring them in at the end with the peas. Much more savory and the mushrooms retain their lovely sautéed texture. The quality of the stock is crucial. A delicious vegetarian wild mushroom stock is in the classic, The Greens Cook Book.

Woudl recommmned the addition of lemon juice at the end when you add the parmesan and black pepper. Adds much needed acid to the dish!! Would highly recommend the addition!

If you found this bland, its most likely because the stock you are using is lacking richness and/or salt. In my opinion, risotto needs a pat of finishing butter. When the rice is al dente, pull from heat and stir in 1-2 tbsp of cold butter to stop the cooking and amp up the creamy richness, then stir in the Parmesan cheese and parsley. Taste and adjust for salt.

delicious! Used run of the mill baby bella mushrooms, but had no complaints. I added some herb butter (Le Beurre Bordier Wild Garlic & Kampot Pepper Butter) at the end, like reviews suggested, and I found this dish soooo yummy.

meh, not much flavor and not so easy on the eyes.

I too separated this recipe into two pans. Morel mushrooms, shallots, and butter in one and started the risotto in The Other. I did not want the morels to soak up the wine. It is really meant for the risotto.