Gnocchi with Mushroom Sauce

July 19, 2009


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Once upon a time, Randy and I were dating.  Once upon a time, I tried to dazzle him with my cooking, my yoga practice, my singing, and my smarts.  These days, my yoga practice has fallen by the wayside (not for long!), my singing consists of endless renditions of “The Wheels on the Bus” and “C is for Cookie”, and my smarts…well, have you heard of mommy brain?

I do still try to wow him with my cooking though.  Fortunately, I am a good cook and he is easily impressed.  Every time I make this gnocchi dish, I think of the first time I made it for my then boyfriend and now husband.  In a foreshadowing of how I would eventually conduct my personal chef business, I made most of the dish at home and brought it over to his house to finish it off.  I hauled in a baking sheet covered in flour and my first attempt at gnocchi (a favorite of his).  Separately, I brought over a sauce containing shiitake mushrooms (another of his favorites), and lots of sage.  I cooked up the gnocchi and placed them directly in the sauce, followed by arugula and a healthy handful of Parmesan cheese.  Delicious.

That was the first of many times that I made this dish, but the last time I made my own gnocchi.  In my mind, food is separated into three categories.  There is the “you can certainly buy, but you really should make yourself” category.  Things like salad dressing, marinara sauce, cookies and ice cream reside here.  There is the “you can certainly make yourself, but it’s OK to buy” category.  Things like artisanal bread and salsa live here.  Then there is the “oh, just buy it” category.  I put jam, puff pastry, and yes, gnocchi in that one.  Store-bought gnocchi has the right texture for me and it stores almost indefinitely in the pantry.  If you are the type who puts gnocchi in the “make it yourself” category, please be my guest and use your favorite recipe with this delicious sauce.

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Gnocchi with Mushroom Sauce

Adapted from Bon Appetit
Serves 3-4

2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. olive oil
12 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, sliced
1/2 cup sliced shallots
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 tbsp. chopped fresh sage
3 cups arugula, chopped if leaves are large
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1 pound potato gnocchi

Cook butter and olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat until butter begins to brown, about 2 minutes.  Add mushrooms and shallots and saute until golden brown, about 10 minutes.  Add stock and sage; simmer until liquid is slightly reduced, about 8 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil.  Add gnocchi and cook until most of them float to the surface, about 3 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the cooked gnocchi directly to the pan with the sauce.  Add arugula and stir until wilted.  Sprinkle with cheese and stir to combine.  Serve in shallow bowls with additional Parmesan.



17 Comments »

  1. yum! hugh loves gnocchi, even the store bought kind. Sauce looks lovely, Dana!

    Comment by Sprouted Kitchen — July 19, 2009 @ 4:19 pm

  2. I made gnocchi once about 3 weeks ago… it is not so bad to make but I need more practice! By the way, your mushroom sauce looks great with the gnocchi!

    Comment by Karine — July 19, 2009 @ 9:17 pm

  3. i definitely agree with your category split even without having *attempted* to make some of the recipes in the “oh just buy it” category. after making bagels recently, i’m adding them to the “oh just buy it” category.

    the sauce looks delish on the store bought pasta! ; p

    Comment by sweetie — July 19, 2009 @ 10:39 pm

  4. oh i totally agree with you about the categories… especially after my last gnocchi debacle. this recipe looks so good.

    Comment by kelly — July 20, 2009 @ 11:58 am

  5. I put gnocchi in that same category, but that’s because I continue to fear trying to make it. I just know I’d end up with dense, gluey blobs. This, however, sounds fantastic with shitakes and arugula.

    Comment by lisaiscooking — July 20, 2009 @ 1:25 pm

  6. It’s you lovely personality and kind soul what attracted him, all those other things were extras :)
    This looks SOOOOOOOOOOOOO delicious anc omforting. Gosh, I love me a big bowl of mushroomy, leafy, gnocchi goodness!
    PS: I have “Banana Phone” and “Down By The Bay” playing in my head at all times!

    Comment by Marta — July 20, 2009 @ 3:10 pm

  7. I so love gnocchi…love their texture and to pair it with mushrooms, I cannot think of anything more hearty!

    Comment by veron — July 20, 2009 @ 5:26 pm

  8. Who wouldnt be impressed by this dish! I love everything here – gnocchi, arugula and mushrooms! I like the texture of store brought gnocchi too :)

    Comment by veggiebelly — July 21, 2009 @ 12:40 am

  9. Reading this you make me think that I have to go back to my regular yoga practice. I have been lazy lately.

    Gnocchi are on my ”just buy it” category also but homemade sauce. Your dish is simply delicious.

    Comment by Hélène — July 21, 2009 @ 1:38 am

  10. This looks gorgeous. I adore mushrooms and arugula and can see myself eating the whole dish on my own.

    Comment by Charmian Christie — July 21, 2009 @ 4:42 pm

  11. This looks so quick and delicious, a perfect meal. I’m kind of scared of shitake mushrooms (but that’s because I’ve only had them dried and they do have a bit of an ick-factor for me). I’ll try this out, but maybe just use portobellos!

    Comment by kickpleat — July 21, 2009 @ 7:33 pm

  12. You are a yogi in the kitchen! Calm, creative and inspiring. I made this dish just tonight and LOVED it. It was so easy and tasty on a warm summer night. thank you!

    Comment by Jen Breen — July 22, 2009 @ 3:16 am

  13. Oh I will definitely have to try this! I’ve made gnocchi once (a lemon ricotta gnocchi mmm) and pan fried it. I was extremely addicted to pan fried gnocchi after trying it at a restaurant in Tofino.

    Comment by Ashley — July 22, 2009 @ 3:50 am

  14. I have been eyeing the gnocchi at the grocery store, but I haven’t known what to make with it. To be honest, I don’t even know if I’ve ever had it. Sad, isn’t it? I’m bookmarking this recipe because it sounds wonderful. I just love mushrooms and sage together. And now I have your permission to just go ahead and buy the gnocchi- no pressure to have to make it from scratch. Can’t wait!

    Comment by Tammy — July 24, 2009 @ 2:58 am

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  16. Found your recipe on TasteSpotting and made it tonight with one substitution – I didn’t have arugula so I used kale. It was delicious!

    Comment by Ashley — May 25, 2010 @ 11:34 pm

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