This Risotto ai Funghi is made with dried porcini mushrooms, sausage, onion, rice, rosemary, broth, and saffron.
This risotto also uses dried porcini mushrooms and has similar flavors. Porcini mushrooms are a delicacy in Italy. You can find them in most grocery stores. The best sausage to use for this recipe are the Lucanica sausage, but you could also substitute with sweet Italian sausage.
This risotto is great for date night – you can’t go wrong with a little candlelit dinner, wine, and this Risotto Al Funghi. This dish is wonderful, especially in the fall and winter time.
If you love this recipe, feel free to try my Shiitake Mushroom Burger and my Italian Mahi Mahi.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Arborio rice
- Lucanica sausage
- Onion
- Dried porcini mushroom
- Bay leaves
- Rosemary
- Red wine
- Chicken broth
- Saffron
- Parmesan
See recipe card for Risotto ai Funghi quantities.
Instructions
Add porcini mushroom in a small bowl and pour 2 cups hot water until filled up. Let the mushrooms soak for 10-15 minutes. Place a mesh strainer and a paper towel on top of a another bowl or mug. Pour the porcini mushrooms and liquid through the strainer/towel so the liquid filters and pours into the mug. Chop the porcini mushrooms and reserve the filtered liquid.
Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a large stockpot. Reduce heat once boiling and maintain hot.
In a small bowl, add the pinch of saffron and ladle a cup of hot chicken broth. In a separate large deep saucepan over medium heat, add oil and wait for it to shimmer. Stir in the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the sausage and brown, breaking apart with a wooden spoon, for 7-9 minutes. Toss in the chopped porcini mushrooms and filtered mushroom liquid and bring to a simmer.
Add 2 bay leaves, crushed rosemary, red wine, salt and pepper. Pour in the rice. Add the broth with the saffron as well as boiling chicken broth. Stir and bring to a boil. 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 to 20 minutes.
Remove the bay leaves and top with parmesan cheese.
Hint: You do not need to use all of the chicken broth. Watch as the rice absorbs the liquid and taste until cooked through.
Substitutions
Arborio rice: You can use any medium to short grain rice for risotto. If you can't make it to the store, sushi rice will work as well.
Sausage: You can use Italian sausage or Lucanica sausage, as long as it is out of the casing. You can buy de-cased sausage or take them out yourself.
Onion: I used yellow onion for this recipe although you can use red or white onion too.
Mushroom: The dried mushroom really gives this risotto the majority of its flavor. It is so delicious and flavorful.
Spices: You can use a combination of dried basil, parsley or thyme instead of rosemary. Saffron is relatively expensive, but on amazon you can get a bunch for only $13!
Red wine: You can skip this if you do not want to add wine. I used cabernet sauvignon or anything on the drier side will work.
Broth: I love using chicken broth because I think its so flavorful and compliments the mushroom a ton. You can opt to using beef broth or vegetable broth too.
Variations
Cooking is a chance to be creative! Have fun with it and feel free to make your own variation.
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes while cooking to imbue heat into the dish.
- Deluxe - add fresh wild mushroom in with the sausage.
- Kid friendly - add extra parmesan cheese.
Check out this Air Fried Bok Choy.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Stone bakeware takes longer to heat up than metal pans, and also retain heat for longer, which could make the recipe more watery, or burnt on the outsides.
I love using my Caraway pots, pans and baking sheets for best quality. Get yourself a discount by clicking here!
Storage
This will be good in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
This Risotto ai Funghi can be frozen for up to three months.
Top tip
You do not need to use all the broth. Keep ladling hot broth into the risotto until fully absorbed and cooked through.
Risotto ai Funghi
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This Risotto ai Funghi is made with dried porcini mushrooms, sausage, onion, rice, rosemary, broth, and saffron.
Ingredients
- 3 cups arborio rice
- 1 lb Lucanica sausage, without casing
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 (8 oz) bag dried porcini mushroom
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon crushed rosemary
- ½ cup dry red wine
- 12 cups chicken broth
- Pinch of saffron
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add porcini mushroom in a small bowl and pour 2 cups hot water until filled up. Let the mushrooms soak for 10-15 minutes. Place a mesh strainer and a paper towel on top of a another bowl or mug. Pour the porcini mushrooms and liquid through the strainer/towel so the liquid filters and pours into the mug. Chop the porcini mushrooms and reserve the filtered liquid.
- Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a large stockpot. Reduce heat once boiling and maintain hot.
- In a small bowl, add the pinch of saffron and ladle a cup of hot chicken broth.
- In a separate large deep saucepan over medium heat, add oil and wait for it to shimmer. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add the sausage and brown, breaking apart with a wooden spoon, for 7-9 minutes.
- Add the chopped porcini mushrooms and filtered mushroom liquid and bring to a simmer.
- Add 2 bay leaves, crushed rosemary, red wine, salt and pepper. Add the rice.
- Add the broth with the saffron as well as boiling chicken broth. Stir and bring to a boil. 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 to 20 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaves and top with parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Make sure to use hot water to rehydrate the dried porcini mushrooms. Filter the liquid super well and reserve the liquid.
- If you're in a hurry, you can use hot water to rehydrate the mushrooms.
- This pairs well with a light red wine like sangiovese di romagna.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 257.7
- Sugar: 1.0 g
- Sodium: 674.7 mg
- Fat: 13.0 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 21.8 g
- Fiber: 0.4 g
- Protein: 10.0 g
- Cholesterol: 16.5 mg
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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