no stir pesto risotto with butter roasted mushrooms and chickpeas
The easiest risotto there ever was. Only a couple swishes of the old wood spoon and bam, you’ve got on your hands a pile of a decadent yet stupid easy Italian classic.
I think for one of my birthdays, or some other celebration or another, J cooked up scallops and risotto. He did the latter the traditional way: forever simmering broth on the stove and getting up every so often to add the steaming liquid to a pot of creamy rice. I remember loving the result. The process itself isn’t overly hard, per se, just time consuming and requiring a fair amount of attention to ensure nothing gets too warm and the rice stays soft and silky.
A batch of homemade pesto from my mom spurred the inspiration for this recipe. On a side table near her door she set up an aerogarden with a few herbs, including one monstrosity of a basil plant. That thing could end wars, people. It’s bigger than ole Bill on my balcony. The leaves are brilliantly emerald and the size of my palm in some cases. With the excess, she whipped up some sauce and handed it over to me, much to my delight.
I used the whole jar a few ways, but this risotto might be my favorite of them all. Some prep work involved, but pretty minimal for such a luxurious, fell-good meal. The tender mushrooms and crisped chickpeas complete each bowl, and the leftovers are slam-banging for lunches the rest of the week.
Beep-Beep, Shroom
Get the oven preheated to 425, then start with the broth. I do this to ensure the broth is hot enough once I start the risotto. So long as you keep the heat managed, it can hang out for quite some time, even if you get distracted by the stains on your floor and an overwhelming urge to vacuum.
Dry off the chickpeas well, then toss on a lined baking sheet with smashed garlic, fresh oregano, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread onto a single layer and roast for 10 minutes.
Take the tray out and dapple some thinly-sliced butter pats all over the goodies. Crank the oven up to 450 and roast around 5-10 minutes more. The chickpeas and mushroom edges crisp up while the insides of the later stay moist and tender.
No-Risk Risotto
Time to tackle the risotto! Well, don’t tackle it. Then dinner will be splayed all over your kitchen tile and you might get burned. Not a cute look.
Melt a little more butter in a pot and stir in minced garlic and more oregano until golden and fragrant, only a minute or two. Add in your rice – a short-grain is what you need here, like arborio, sushi, or Valencia short-grain, Calrose works well too – and toast for 4-5 minutes.
Pour in some white wine and stir into the rice for a few minutes until absorbed. The underlying flavor lingers after the rice is complete, and honestly I don’t think you can make risotto without wine. I prefer a sauvignon blanc for most of my cooking, but a good dry chardonnay is nice too.
Enlist a few cups of your steamy broth and add to the rice pot. Bring to a gentle simmer, not a heavy duty earthquake boil. Cover the pot and cook until the rice is soft and most of the liquid is absorbed, usually around 12-15 minutes if you monitored your heat well.
The Finishing Touch
The final stir: pesto, parmesan, and the remaining broth. And you did it! You made risotto! Look at you, fancy-ass.
I didn’t quite use all of my allotted broth, and this is okay. Quantity will depend on how much liquid your rice soaks up during the initial simmer. The pesto also adds a good deal of texture, I found.
Of course, taste for salt and pepper and add as needed. Once the risotto is silky to your liking, plate it up and top with the roasted mushrooms and chickpeas. A bit of chopped fresh basil and maybe a bit more parmesan to spruce up the servings, and you’ve got one hell of an envious dinner.
I ate the leftovers over a few days with a variety of accompaniments. Think roasted fish or chicken (regular or veggie), whatever roasted vegetables I found lurking in tupperware, toasted bread, you name it. The dish is versatile enough to compliment tons of courses.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
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no stir pesto risotto with butter roasted mushrooms and chickpeas
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas, drained
- 2 cups shiitake mushrooms, roughly torn
- 2 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
- 8 cloves garlic
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 1/2 cups short grain rice
- 1/3 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup pesto, homemade or store bought
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
- Heat the broth in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until steaming. Do not boil.
- Smash 4 of the garlic cloves and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, the chickpeas, mushrooms, 1 tablespoon of oregano, salt, and pepper. Spread onto the baking sheet.
- Roast for 10 minutes. Arrange 2 tablespoons of thinly-sliced butter over the mushrooms and chickpeas. Increase the oven temperature to 450 and roast an additional 5-10 minutes until crispy and golden. Set aside.
- Melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Mince the other 4 cloves of garlic and stir with 1 tablespoon of oregano for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Pour in the rice and toast for 3-4 minutes, then add the white wine and simmer until absorbed by the rice, about 3-4 minutes longer.
- Pour in 3 cups of the hot broth and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes until the rice is softened. Stir in 1/2 cup of broth, the parmesan, and pesto. If needed, add the remaining broth to loosen the sauce.
- Divide into bowls and garnish with the chickpeas and mushrooms along with fresh chopped basil, as desired.
