Mushroom Risoni

I love cooking anything with risoni, it takes me back to my childhood. From as young as I can remember, I recall having roasted leg of lamb in a huge dish, filled with tomato passata and risoni. I can still smell the rosemary just thinking about it. When I’m in the village in Greece I’m always cooking risoni with fresh tomatoes and onions. For some reason the produce there just tastes better. Our village is high up in the mountains, and produce from there is so much fresher.

This recipe combines an abundance of mushrooms and a risotto style cooking method for the risoni. You can use any mushrooms you like in this dish, or add other veg, it’s almost just like making a risotto.

Ingredients

1 brown onion, roughly chopped

1 leek, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tbs olive oil

6 sprigs thyme, chopped

5 cups mixed mushrooms, thinly sliced

500g risoni

1 cup white wine

½ cup dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 1 cup water

2 cups chicken or beef stock

Water

150g butter unsalted

200g parmesan, grated

Method

In a heavy base saucepan sauté the onion and leek in the olive oil until translucent. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for a further 2 minutes

Add the mushrooms and 30g of the butter, stir until softened

Add the risoni and cook for a further 2 minutes

Add the wine and reduce until almost absorbed

Now add the porcini mushrooms and the water they were soaking in, as well as the stock

Add more water, 1 cup at a time, until the pasta is tender. Remember to taste the dish constantly so the pasta does not overcook

Now that the pasta is cooked, turn off the heat. Chop the remaining butter into cubes and push it into the pasta, place the cheese on top of the pasta. Leave the butter and cheese on top of the pot for 2 minutes to melt. After the 2 minutes stir the butter and cheese through to combine

Season with salt and pepper and enjoy xx