(for 4 people)

INGREDIENTS

  • 10g dried porcini mushrooms
  • 4 tablespoons of olive oil, plus more for the baking dish
  • 1 small shallot, chopped
  • 1/2 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 lb / 450g mixed mushrooms, cleaned
  • Salt and pepper
  • 100g Green Lentils (large or small variety)
  • 100g risotto rice
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Vegetable broth
  • 50 to 80 g grated Parmesan, Grana Padano, or Pecorino cheese
  • Una manciata di castagne arrosto (optional)
  • 1 to 3 teaspoons of truffle paste (optional)

PROCEDURE
Soak the porcini mushrooms in boiling water for about 10 minutes. Heat the oil in a pot and add the shallot and onion. Let them brown for about 10 minutes. Cut the mushrooms into slices or cubes and add them to the onion. Squeeze the porcini mushrooms, chop them, and add them to the pot, reserving their soaking liquid. Sauté for 5 minutes, add a pinch of salt and some pepper. Add the lentils, stir, and then add the porcini soaking liquid along with some vegetable broth, so that the total liquid is about half a glass. Cook the lentils until the time remaining for them to be done is the same as the cooking time for the rice. Add the rice, stir well for a minute, making sure there is very little liquid in the pot when you add the rice. Add the bay leaf, along with enough broth to just cover all the ingredients. Cover halfway with the lid and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring gently occasionally. Check for doneness, and if the lentils or rice are still hard, add a little more broth and continue cooking uncovered. Once you have achieved a creamy consistency, add half of the cheese and the truffle paste, if you are using it. Adjust with salt and pepper. Transfer to an oiled baking dish, sprinkle with the remaining cheese, and place under the broiler until the cheese has formed a crust. Finish with crumbled roasted chestnuts when serving.