Directions

1. Put dried mushrooms in a small bowl and pour boiling water over them. Set aside to rehydrate until softened, 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove mushrooms from the soaking liquid (reserve liquid). Chop half the mushrooms, leave the rest in slices, and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, pour broth into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and keep warm. When the mushrooms have been removed from soaking liquid, carefully pour the remaining liquid into the broth, stopping when you get to the grit at the bottom of the bowl (discard this).
3. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or other 5- to 6-qt. pot over medium heat. Add onion and chopped thyme and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 4-5 minutes. Add rice and garlic and stir to coat the rice with the oil, cooking about 45 seconds. Add wine and cook, stirring constantly, until it has simmered away, 1-2 minutes.
4. Add mushrooms to the pan and enough hot broth (about 1 1/2 cups) so the rice is just submerged. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until broth is absorbed. Continue adding broth about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently and simmering until most of the liquid is absorbed before adding more, until rice is tender with just a bit of chew, and a bit looser than you want the final texture, 20-25 minutes. (The risotto will thicken as it stands.)
5. Remove risotto from heat and stir in 1 1/3 cups Parmesan, 3/4 tsp. salt, the pepper, and parsley. Taste and add more salt if you like. Transfer risotto to a wide bowl and top with fresh thyme sprigs, if using. Serve with more Parmesan and pepper to add to taste.