Porcini Risotto with Mussels

This is another italian risotto recipe with a nice mixture of two strong flavors, porcini mushrooms and mussels. I've used eastern mussels for this dish, but you can replace them with any other mussels you like. Eastern mussels are quite cheap and perfect for pasta or rice dishes.






for 2 people:

Ingredients:

ingredients for basic risotto
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
7 oz (about 200 g) tomatoes from a can (italian pelati or any cheaper brand)
0.5 oz (about 15 g) dried porcini mushrooms (soaked in warm water)
1 lb (about 500 g) mussels
a bit of parsley for decoration


Instructions:

Before starting to make the risotto, bring water to boil in a fairly large pot. Add the mussels and cook them until they all have opened (a few minutes). Take the mussels out of their shelves and put aside (or do that a bit later so you don't burn your fingers).

Heat butter and olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onions and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes over medium heat (don't burn the garlic) until golden. Add the tomatoes, crush them if they weren't already in the can.

Drain the soaked porcini mushroom, add them to the tomato sauce and sauté for another 10-15 minutes until most liquid is absorbed. Put the sauce aside.

Now prepare the risotto as described here. Once your rice is almost ready, add the mussels and the tomato/porcini sauce. Mix well, serve on plates and decorate with a bit of parsley. For dessert, I served the marsala pears.