Mushrooms & Broccoli Saffron Risotto

– wash and rinse well the broccooi buds, keep them aside;

– put the mushrooms in a bowl and soak them in water for at least 10 minutes;

– prepare the vegetable stock in a separate pan;

– when the vegetable stock is ready, maintain its temperature high by keeping the pan on the stove on a low fire;

– chop the onion and put it in a large saucepan together with a pinch of salt and 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil;

– put the saucepan on the stove on medium heat;

– as soon as the oil starts frying, low the heat to the minimum, cover the saucepan with a lid and cook till onion soften in its own liquid;

– when the onion is cooked, add the broccoli buds, the drained mushrooms and mix well;

– add the rice and mix well;

– scoop up and pour the broth from its pot with a ladle till you cover the rice;

– stir well and keep on watching the rice closely: as soon as most of the evaporates, pour in some more hot vegetable stock;

– repeat the above step till the rice cooks (it should take around 15 minutes). Do not add too much stock at one go whenever you top up the risotto, because when the rice finally cooks there must not be too much liquid in the pan;

– when the rice is cooked, add the saffron and mix well;

– remove the pan form the stove and add the provola cheese (cheese should be cut in small cubes before adding it to the risotto);

– mix well till the cheese melts completely;

– allow the rice to rest into the pan for some minutes before serving it, topped by some grated Parmesan cheese;