My husband is definitely not a picky eater. He likes everything you put in front of him. Except mushrooms. Like many, he can't get over the texture of them in food. I convinced him to try Chicken Marsala, which he ended up liking, so long as I strained out the mushrooms before giving him his plate. (I would roll my eyes, but I have much weirder food habits than that.)

We have been trying to eat less meat in our house, so in my quest for more veggie and fish centered recipes, I fell in love with this risotto. Personally, I love mushrooms, and anything with Marsala wine has me sold. This risotto has an amazing punch of flavor and is excellent with some fresh bread on the side. We ate this as our main dish, but you can definitely serve this as a side dish as well. And what was Justin's reaction? He gobbled down his entire plate including every.single.mushroom. This is the first time I have ever seen him enjoy them! If you are in a house with a mushroom-hater, I definitely recommend giving this a try. (Just don't tell them about it in advance, or your mushrooms may mysteriously go missing.)

Risotto Marsala
serves 2 as a main course, 4 as a side dish

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 medium shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. tomato paste
3/4 cup Arborio rice
1 cup Marsala wine, divided
3-4 cups low-sodium broth (chicken or vegetable)
1 cup, white mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. fresh basil, minced
Kosher salt
Ground pepper

Heat the chicken broth in a medium saucepan until simmering. Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat until foaming subsides. Add shallots and saute until soft, 2-3 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cook until fragrant, 1 minute.

Add the Arborio rice to the skillet, and toast until opaque around the edges, 3-5 minutes. Add 3/4 cup of the Marsala wine and cook, stirring often, until absorbed, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of the chicken broth, and stir occasionally until almost absorbed, 8-12 minutes. Working 1 ladle of broth at at time, continue to add broth, stirring constantly. (Add the next ladle when the broth is almost completely absorbed.)

After you have been cooking the risotto for 10 minutes, stir in the mushrooms. Continue to cook risotto, stirring constantly, until it is al dente, for a total of 20-25 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in remaining 1/4 cup of Marsala wine, Parmesan cheese, basil, and remaining butter. Add salt and pepper if necessary and season to taste. Serve immediately.

Source: adapted from Pink Parsley