Gordon Ramsay’s truffle risotto is earthy, rich and deeply savoury, made with a wild mushroom base, dried porcini, Arborio rice, Parmesan and a drizzle of truffle oil stirred in right at the end. Ready in about 35 minutes, and most of that is just gentle stirring.
In his MasterClass he teaches truffle as a finishing ingredient, never something you cook into the dish. His rule across every book that mentions it: “truffle’s a finishing note. Too much and it kills everything.” One tablespoon of oil is all you need.
I built the base using his mushroom risotto method from Make It Easy, where dried porcini give you that deep earthy backbone. In Quick and Delicious he takes the same approach for his truffle mushrooms, adding truffle oil and porcini paste to layer the flavour rather than dumping it all in at once.
Gordon Ramsay Truffle Risotto Recipe
Course: Dinners, RisottoCuisine: British, ItalianDifficulty: Medium4
servings10
minutes25
minutes380
kcal35
minutesA wild mushroom risotto finished with truffle oil off the heat, built from Ramsay’s Make It Easy mushroom method and his MasterClass truffle technique. Earthy, rich and ready in 35 minutes for about £3.30 per person.
Ingredients
30g dried porcini mushrooms
200g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 banana shallots, finely diced
1 garlic clove, finely sliced
250g Arborio or Carnaroli rice
125ml dry white wine
800ml hot chicken or vegetable stock (including porcini soaking liquid)
50g cold unsalted butter, cubed
50g Parmesan, finely grated
1 tbsp truffle oil (white or black)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh Parmesan shavings, to serve
Directions
- Soak the porcini: Cover the dried porcini in 200ml boiling water and leave for 20 minutes. Drain through a sieve lined with kitchen paper, saving the soaking liquid. Roughly chop the porcini. Add the soaking liquid to your stock.
- Cook the mushrooms: Heat a tablespoon of oil in a wide pan over high heat. Sauté the chestnut mushrooms for 3-4 minutes until golden and all the moisture has cooked off. Set aside.
- Build the risotto: In the same pan, heat the remaining oil over medium heat. Cook the shallots for 2-3 minutes until soft, add the garlic for 30 seconds, then stir in the rice for 1-2 minutes until translucent at the edges.
- Deglaze: Pour in the wine and stir until absorbed.
- Ladle the stock: Add the hot stock one ladle at a time, stirring until each is absorbed. After about 10 minutes, stir in the chopped porcini. Keep going for another 6-8 minutes until the rice is al dente.
- Finish: Pull the pan off the heat. Beat in the cold butter and Parmesan. Fold in the sautéed mushrooms, then drizzle in the truffle oil and stir once. Serve on warm plates with Parmesan shavings.
FAQs
Why does Ramsay add truffle oil off the heat?
Heat destroys truffle flavour. The aromatic compounds in truffle oil are volatile, which means they evaporate the moment they hit a hot pan. In his MasterClass, Ramsay treats truffle as a finishing note rather than a cooking ingredient, stirring it through at the very end after the pan is off the hob.
In Home Cooking he gives the same advice about fresh truffles: grate them over finished dishes rather than cooking them in. The warmth of the risotto is enough to release the aroma without burning it off.
What is the difference between white and black truffle oil?
Ramsay explains in Home Cooking that white Alba truffles from Italy have a more delicate, floral aroma, which is why he grates them over finished dishes. Black Périgord truffles from France are earthier and stronger, so he uses them as a stuffing with butter under chicken skin.
For this risotto, white truffle oil gives a lighter, more perfumed finish. Black truffle oil is bolder and works better alongside steak or rich meat. La Espanola White Truffle Oil from Tesco costs £5.25 for 250ml, and you only need a tablespoon per batch so the bottle lasts months.
Did David Beckham make truffle risotto for Gordon Ramsay?
Yes. In January 2026 Beckham cooked Ramsay’s “Brilliant Truffle Scallop Risotto” from the Real Home Chef meal box collab. He filmed himself making it on Instagram while Ramsay watched on FaceTime, and when Ramsay praised the result Beckham said “I’ve had a good teacher.”
That version uses truffle butter and crème fraîche with seared scallops on top. If you want to recreate it, add three seared scallops per person using the clock-face method from our scallop risotto page.
How much does truffle risotto cost per serving?
About £13.25 for four servings the first time, so roughly £3.30 per person. The truffle oil is the biggest cost at £5.25 for a 250ml bottle, but it lasts for 10+ batches since you only use a tablespoon each time. After that first buy, the cost drops to about £2 per person.
Merchant Gourmet Dried Porcini cost £3.00 for 30g at Tesco, chestnut mushrooms are about £1.00, and the rice, Parmesan, wine, stock and aromatics fill the rest. A a fillet steak with peppercorn sauce alongside turns this into a proper special occasion dinner.
Can I use fresh truffle instead of truffle oil?
If you can get one, absolutely. Ramsay says in Bread Street Kitchen that it’s “decadent to treat yourself to a few shavings of truffle.” Shave it directly over the plated risotto with a microplane just before serving.
Fresh black truffle costs £3-5 per gram in season (November to March), so expect to pay £15-25 for enough to top four plates. Fresh white truffle is even more expensive at £8-15 per gram, only available October to December. For a weeknight dinner, truffle oil gives you most of the flavour for a fraction of the price. A pan-seared duck breast is another dish that loves a truffle shaving if you have some left over.
Does truffle risotto store well?
The mushroom base reheats well with a splash of stock, but the truffle aroma fades overnight. If you’re reheating leftovers, add a fresh half-teaspoon of truffle oil after warming through. Keeps two days in the fridge.
The porcini soaking liquid also freezes well, so save any extra for next time. A his shepherd’s pie for a cosy night in is a better make-ahead option if you want something that actually improves overnight. I’ve tested his risotto collection and this is the most special-occasion one on the list.
