farro mushroom risotto

This creamy farro mushroom risotto (farrotto) is brimming with crispy wild mushrooms and the best salty parmesan. It’s packed with woodsy mushroom flavor for a hearty, autumn variation on classic risotto!

Farro risotto is a delicious way to cook farro. It’s a softer, creamier way to make farro that is much more flexible than traditional risotto, and it reheats like a charm.

This farro risotto recipe, though delicious if made plain, is all about the mushrooms. It’s creamy, chewy, and filled to the top with the buttery, crispy-edged wild mushrooms.

Make sure to source the best mushrooms and use the full amount the recipe calls for. It looks like a lot, it’s correct. They add so much flavor and meaty texture! If you’re a mushroom lover, this farrotto is for you.

what is farro risotto?

Farro risotto (also known as farrotto) is an alternative way to cook farro so that it is similar in consistency to traditional risotto, made from Arborio rice. But it uses a more hands-off approach— you don’t need to slowly add cooking liquid and stir to create a creamy consistency.

Farro is pre-cooked, then stirred into sautéed shallots and reduced white wine for a flavorful sauce. Farrotto won’t have as much creaminess as true risotto (that’s specific to the technique and rice), but that is made up for in extra flexibility, texture and flavor from the farro grains.

When picking farro, look for a pearled or semi-pearled farro. These have part of the bran removed, so they cook faster than whole grain farro and don’t require overnight soaking.

what you need for this farro mushroom risotto:

• Wild mushrooms
• Dried mushrooms
• Farro
• Shallots
• Garlic
• White wine
• Parmesan
• Thyme
• Butter
• Olive oil
• Chicken stock

how to cook farro risotto

1. Cook farro in boiling water or stock, drain.
2. Sauté a minced shallot in butter.
3. Add white wine, reduce by half.
4. Stir in farro, some reserved stock, parmesan and butter.
5. Cook, stirring, until a light sauce forms.
6. Serve!

I add dried and wild mushrooms for extra flavor— but this is the base technique for farrotto. You can add your choice of vegetables!

what makes this mushroom farro risotto so good?

Great mushrooms: We use two layers of mushrooms here— dried and fresh. Dried mushrooms are rehydrated, and that mushroom broth is a key part of the farro cooking liquid. Then we use the best wild mushrooms we can find, and a lot of them. They’re cooked separately in olive oil and butter for crispy edges and so much flavor. 

Brown butter: Butter is browned before sautéing the shallots for extra nuttiness and toasty flavor. Earthy mushrooms, toasty farro, nutty browned butter? It’s so perfect.

Rich stock: The farro is cooked in a mix of mushroom and chicken stock, which infuses the grains with so much flavor. Why use water when you can add layers of flavor in the cooking liquid? Use your favorite vegetable stock to make this vegetarian!

Hands-off: Farro risotto is much less involved than traditional risotto. You don’t need to ladle in hot stock and stir the pot until it’s absorbed. Instead, cook the farro like pasta. Add the drained farro to a pot of sautéed shallots and butter, along with a little extra stock and parmesan, and simmer until the sauce thickens and coats the grains.

How to serve this farro mushroom risotto

I love to serve this mushroom farro risotto with a kale brussels sprouts salad and call it a day. If you're looking for a delicious meat to go alongside it, try this porcini crusted roasted beef tenderloin! For something simple and equally delicious, try this slow cooker roast beef!

Wine pairings:

This farro risotto is nutty, earthy and hearty— filled with wild mushrooms and a ton of flavor. For a delicious pairing, look for a wine with a similar earthy flavor profile and equally intense flavor so it isn’t overpowered.

Old world red wines, especially with some bottle age, are known for having earthy, forest floor type flavors. They'll be perfect for this mushroom farro risotto. 

This aromatic profile is best found in Pinot Noirs from Burgundy. And you don’t need to break the bank here, either! Look for reds from the Cote Chalonnais, rather than the Cote de Nuits, for affordable, silky smooth, every day options.

You could also try a rich, velvety Northern Rhone red (syrah) or a supple, intensely flavored Rioja Reserva (tempranillo).

more farro and mushrooms recipes to try:

farro bowl with spring peas and asparagus

morel pizza with fontina and crispy shallots

morel pasta with cream, parmesan and thyme

wild mushroom toast with brown butter, ricotta and parsley

more risotto recipes to try:

apple risotto

asparagus risotto

black truffle risotto

butternut squash risotto

lemon risotto

lobster risotto

mushroom risotto

parmesan risotto

pea risotto

porcini arancini

saffron risotto

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