This truffle mushroom risotto is perfect for your next dinner party or date night! It's incredibly flavorful, decadent, with a lot of truffle infused into every level.
Need more date night ideas? Try my small winter charcuterie board for 2, reverse seared ribeye steak, and Love Martini cocktail.
Level up Basic Risotto with My Mushroom Truffle Risotto
One of my all time favorite dishes on date night is black truffle risotto. If I find it on the menu, I have to try it, right?
But I feel like Gordon Ramsay because so many people just don't know how to make a luxurious, creamy risotto! So many times I've been disappointed by gummy, gluey rice and little to no truffle!
When you make this risotto, I want you to have full confidence that not only will you learn how to build this iconic Italian comfort food, but make one that is full of delicious flavor and is easy to make.
My creamy mushroom risotto recipe is easy to follow made with truffle butter and truffle purée, with loads of gorgeous mushrooms and plenty of parmesan cheese...then even more truffle butter added at the very end because decadence, honey.
Make this for any special meal, whoever that lucky date is will adore this dish (and you!).
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Jump to:
- Level up Basic Risotto with My Mushroom Truffle Risotto
- Why You'll Love this Recipe
- What exactly is risotto?
- Equipment
- Ingredients
- Truffle Butter vs. Truffle Oil
- Let's Talk about Wild Mushrooms
- Step by Step Instructions on Making Risotto
- Variations and Substitutions
- Pro Tips for the Best Truffle Mushroom Risotto
- What to Serve with Risotto
- Storage and Reheating
- FAQs
- Mushroom Truffle Risotto
Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Easy yet impactful - we don't require any fancy pants skills here, but we use ingredients that pack a ton of flavor
- Perfect for Special Occasions - when you set a plate of creamy truffle risotto down in front of your date? They will
- Minimal Stirring - you don't have to take it from me; even J. Kenji Lopez-Alt. says you don't have to stand over risotto and get your 30 minute workout in! Which makes me want to make risotto even more, honestly.
What exactly is risotto?
Risotto is a classic Italian dish made with short-grain, high-starch risotto rice like arborio or carnaroli (which is so hard to find in the U.S.! If you find some GRAB IT and get two more to store!).
This type of rice absorbs the liquid like nothing else, while releasing all that starch so the dish ends up super creamy yet the rice doesn't end up gummy and mushy even after absorbing cups and cups of stock when done right.
It's finished off with parmesan cheese and plenty of butter, and is a perfect base to add fresh veggies and, of course, funghi.
Equipment
- Mushroom Brush - brush off the dirt before giving the mushrooms a quick rinse.
- Small Saucepan - for the chicken broth to simmer in.
- Microplane for the parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
- Arborio Rice - my favorite type of risotto rice. It's short and starchy, releasing that starch while it cooks in the chicken stock for a really creamy texture.
- Chicken Broth - homemade is always best but I always keep a container of Better than Bouillon in my fridge just in case.
- Butter or Oil - this is for the mushrooms, use whichever one you like since we aren't using high heat in this recipe.
- Truffle Butter - I used one made with black truffles, which has a bolder flavor than the white truffle.
- White Wine - optional, but I love the flavor it brings. You can just use chicken stock to deglaze as well.
- Mushrooms - Use a variety of them for the most wow factor. More on that below.
- Shallot and Garlic - small minced shallots basically melts away
- Truffle Puree - this spread is made with mushrooms and truffle, it's powerful and so good! I use it on scrambled eggs, hollandaise sauce, mixed into grits, it just elevates, you know?
- Parmesan Cheese - I will say it 'til I'm blue in the face: buy a wedge of parmesan and grate it yourself!
- Kosher Salt and Pepper
Truffle Butter vs. Truffle Oil
I will always use truffle butter over truffle oil whenever I want to make truffle risotto or anything that I want to infuse with truffle.
I buy truffle butter, which is made with actual truffles, at Wegmans' but it can be found at Whole Foods, Safeway, Williams-Sonoma, Sur la Table, and Amazon. It is infused with truffle and has chopped truffle in it, so you really get that flavor, but it isn't super expensive.
The majority of commercial truffle oil, however, is made with a synthetic chemical called 2,4-dithiapentane to mimic the flavor of truffle while raking in the benefits of being associated with truffles at the ignorance of the consumer: it's overpriced yet cheap to produce.
And the real truffle oil? Very, very expensive, usually only at specialty stores, and it'll have real truffle in the oil itself.
So buy the butter. The oil is (most likely) a fraud unless you get it from a reputable place.
Let's Talk about Wild Mushrooms
First, big disclaimer: do not forage any mushrooms that you don't know, can't identify, or have never eaten. I am not a foraging expert, even if you catch me looking for some Hen of the Woods here in the country.
The mushrooms I used were actually from a local farmers' market vendor called The Fruitful Forest but I also know that Wegmans' grocery store also tends to have varieties of wild mushrooms so check out the farmers' markets and grocery store.
Here's my top 5 mushroom choices...and I did use all five in this recipe for some different textures (and they are just so nice in the photos!) but you don't have to! They all are great stand alones:
- Cremini Mushrooms - these are classic 'baby bella' brown button mushrooms found in any grocery store. They're meaty in texture and, while still mild, have a more robust flavor than white button mushrooms.
- Blue Oyster Mushrooms - these are delicate, frilly little mushrooms that have an equally delicate taste but get a slightly crisped up texture when pan-seared. Delicious, one of my faves.
- Beech Mushrooms - beech 'shrooms are best eaten cooked, where they develop a sweet, savory, nutty flavor. They are so cute and they grow in 'bouquets', but they're also small. Watch them so they don't burn!
- King Trumpet Mushrooms - I absolutely adore these. They are showy mushrooms, they definitely stand out with their large size. Their flavor is light and delicate with a very meaty texture.
- Lion Mane Mushrooms - these are a new love of mine. They have a sweet and delicate texture and flavor, kinda like lobster some might say. They're so yummy and have a very interesting look to them, plump and shaggy!
As you see, I used a mix of wild and button mushrooms that bring a variety of meaty textures and flavors. The truffle and mushroom mix give our risotto a serious umami boost, so use as many of your favorites as you like!
Step by Step Instructions on Making Risotto
Cook the Mushrooms
Step 1 | Melt butter in your pan and add the mushrooms.
Step 2 | Cook the mushrooms and let them release some liquid for a few minutes before seasoning with salt. Continue to cook until the pan dries out of all the liquid and the mushrooms start to turn golden brown. Add more fat as necessary to keep the mushrooms crisping up.
Make the Risotto
Step 1 | Get the stock hot and simmer it in a small pot over low heat on the back burner, covered, to use in our recipe.
Step 2 | Sweat the shallots, thyme, and garlic with the truffle butter and truffle spread in the pan for about 3 minutes over medium heat. We really want to bloom the aroma from all these aromatics!
Step 3 | Add more truffle butter and toast the risotto in the pan for a minute. This coats the rice in fat, prolonging the starch release and toasting the rice, giving it a little bit of toasted, nutty flavor.
Step 4 | Pour in the wine, if using, lower the heat and give your risotto rice a good stir. Let it get absorbed before adding in about ½ cup chicken stock.
Step 5 | Pour the chicken broth into the rice, 1 cup at a time, waiting until the liquid is absorbed about 80% of the way before adding the next cup of hot stock. Keep it uncovered, but we don't want the pan to dry out, always have some liquid for that starch to mix into.
Step 6 | Stir the rice every time you add liquid. You don't have to stand over it, constantly stirring. Just stir it every few minutes so the rice doesn't stick to the bottom and the starch in the risotto gets to work its magic.
Step 7 | By the end, you have run out of broth and the rice now no longer has that translucent shell over an opaque center, it's al dente and not mushy -- it's been around 25-ish minutes by now.
The broth has been absorbed and the rice is a creamy consistency, so remove it from the heat. Stir in the parmesan cheese and truffle butter until the butter has melted and the cheese is nicely mixed in.
Step 8 | Top your truffle risotto with the cooked mushrooms and serve hot. Don't forget to take a pic, it will be a thing of beauty!
Variations and Substitutions
No White Wine - sub in dry vermouth or just use chicken broth instead of the dry white wine. This step adds flavor, but we're really using it to deglaze the pan of those yummy brown bits from the mushrooms and shallots.
Go Wild with your Mushrooms - you don't have to use the ones I have in the recipe. Try porcini and shiitake mushrooms, grab white button mushrooms, and if you really want to get your fancy on: shave some fresh black truffles right on top.
Pro Tips for the Best Truffle Mushroom Risotto
- Leave the mushrooms alone - we want them to develop a golden brown color with crisp edges, and to do that they need to have plenty of direct contact with the pan.
- Mushrooms release a lot of water - You may end up with a pot of mushroom soup for a few minutes while they release all their water. Don't worry, let the excess liquid evaporate and continue cooking.
- Don't rinse your rice - this is one of the rare times I will say that! But rinsing your rice will get rid of all that starch we need to have a good, creamy consistency in our risotto.
- Do not let the risotto dry out or stick to the bottom of the pan - Give it a stir every few minutes. This is a 'keep your eye on it' dish, but home style risotto in a large pan doesn't need to be constantly stirred like old fashioned risotto in a pot.
- A little toothsome-ness is what we're after - If your rice has a hard center, add more broth and cook it until it's no longer crunchy. We want al dente, not a dental bill.
What to Serve with Risotto
Risotto is perfect as a side dish, or as a rich and earthy meatless main dish. Here are some of my favorite mains and sides that you'll love with this recipe:
Storage and Reheating
Store the risotto in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Rewarm in a saucepan with a little chicken broth or creme fraiche for extra richness.
FAQs
The secret to the creamiest risotto resides in the starch! Using a wide pan so all the rice grains are able to release their starch into the broth
Risotto doesn't freeze well. The texture changes are really unpleasant, so I highly advise against it.
Absolutely! You can cook the risotto to 80% done, then spread it on a baking sheet to cool. After it's cooled to room temperature, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. When it's time to serve, heat the risotto in a pan over medium heat with chicken broth until it's fully cooked through.
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Mushroom Truffle Risotto
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 8 oz baby bella mushrooms, quartered
- 8 oz king trumpet mushrooms, sliced lengthwise
- 8 ounces oyster mushrooms, separated
- 1 large bouquet beech mushrooms, separated
- 1 medium lion mane mushroom, sliced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 5-6 cups chicken broth
- 3 tablespoon black truffle butter
- 2 teaspoon black truffle spread
- 1 medium shallot or small yellow onion, finely diced
- ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ¼ cup uncooked arborio rice
- ¼ cup dry white wine, optional
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Cook the Mushrooms
- In a large skillet or braiser pan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoon butter and add in clean mushrooms. Saute the mushrooms for 5 minutes, until they begin to gain a little color, then add ½ teaspoon kosher salt.6 tablespoon unsalted butter, 8 oz baby bella mushrooms, 8 oz king trumpet mushrooms, 8 ounces oyster mushrooms, 1 large bouquet beech mushrooms, 1 medium lion mane mushroom, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Let the mushrooms release their water, this will take anywhere from 5-10 minutes and once the pan runs dry add more of the unsalted butter so the mushrooms can crisp up. Stir them very rarely, they need to touch the pan to get the maillard reaction going and turn golden brown.
- Once the mushrooms are browned and starting to crisp up around the edges, scoop them up with a slotted spoon and remove them to a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.
Make the Truffle Risotto
- In a medium-sized saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a simmer over medium-high heat. Then keep the hot broth over low heat and covered with a lid until you're ready to use it.5-6 cups chicken broth
- In the large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of truffle butter over medium heat. Add in shallots, thyme, and truffle spread and saute until the shallots translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute.3 tablespoon black truffle butter, 2 teaspoon black truffle spread, 1 medium shallot or small yellow onion, ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, 4 cloves garlic
- Add in the risotto rice, stirring to coat each grain with the butter, and cook for 1 minute to toast. Add the quarter cup of white wine, if using, or replace the wine with a quarter cup of chicken stock.1 ¼ cup uncooked arborio rice, ¼ cup dry white wine
- For the next twenty five minutes or so, pour a cup of the hot chicken stock at a time into the rice and stir it in. Let the rice soak up the stock, stirring in another cup of chicken broth just before the rice dries out.
- When the rice is cooked through and creamy, turn off the heat. Mix in the parmesan cheese and the last tablespoon of truffle butter. Add more than ½ cup of cheese if desired.½ cup parmesan cheese, 3 tablespoon black truffle butter
- Taste, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- Mix in or top the risotto with the pan seared mushrooms.
- Serve the mushroom and truffle risotto hot and garnish with more parmesan cheese, if desired.
Recipe Notes
Variations and Substitutions
No White Wine - sub in dry vermouth or just use chicken broth instead of the dry white wine. This step adds flavor, but we're really using it to deglaze the pan of those yummy brown bits from the mushrooms and shallots. Go Wild with your Mushrooms - you don't have to use the ones I have in the recipe. Try porcini and shiitake mushrooms, grab white button mushrooms, and if you really want to get your fancy on: shave some fresh black truffles right on top.Pro Tips for the Best Truffle Mushroom Risotto
- Leave the mushrooms alone - we want them to develop a golden brown color with crisp edges, and to do that they need to have plenty of direct contact with the pan.
- Mushrooms release a lot of water - You may end up with a little pan of mushroom soup for a few minutes while they release all their water. Don't worry, let the excess liquid evaporate and continue cooking.
- Don't rinse your rice - this is one of the rare times I will say that! But rinsing your rice will get rid of all that starch we need to have a good, creamy consistency in our risotto.
- Do not let the risotto dry out or stick to the bottom of the pan - Give it a stir every time you add the chicken broth. This is a 'keep your eye on it' dish, but home style risotto in a large pan doesn't need to be constantly stirred like old fashioned risotto in a big ole pot.
- A little toothsome-ness is what we're after - If your rice has a hard center, add more broth and cook it until it's no longer crunchy. We want al dente, not a dental bill.
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