As I mentioned in one of my earlier posts, I am attempting to cook more vegetarian dishes (good for us, good for the earth). My traditional hesitation in abandoning meat is the concern that the dish won’t be filling enough; that we will all be left wanting more.
This dish easily addressed my concerns. The combination of the earthy taste of the mushrooms, the rich and creamy cheese and the hearty gnocchi was both delicious and hearty enough to satisfy. Again, it is a very simple dish…good for weeknight cooking.
Gnocchi With Mushrooms, Sage and Parmesan
- 1 lb of mixed mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed and sliced
- 1 Tsp. butter
- glug of olive oil
- small bunch of sage leaves, ripped up into pieces
- coarse salt
- 1/2 c. chicken stock
- 1/2 c. cream
- 1 package of gnocchi
- 1/2 c. grated Parmesan
- small handful of toasted pumpkin seeds (optional, but really great if you have them)
1) Add your bit of butter and a glug of olive oil to a large saute or non-stick pan. Heat it up until the butter starts to foam. At this point, add your mushrooms.
2) You will see the mushroom absorb all of the fat in the pan. When the pan seems to be quite dry, sprinkle some coarse salt over top. The mushrooms will now start to realease their moisture. Allow the mushrooms to saute until they are golden on the bottom. You will stir them occasionally, but resist the temptation to stir too much or they won’t get that deep colour and flavour you want.
3) Put a large pot of salted water on to boil. When it is at a rolling boil, add your gnocchi and cook according to the directions on the package (or recipe if you chose to make your own). Generally this is about 7-8 minutes, so try to plan accordingly.
3) When you are satisfied that your mushrooms are done, add the chicken stock and simmer at a medium-low heat until it is reduced by half. Now add the cream and sage and simmer for a few minutes…you will notice the sauce start to thicken. Give it a taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
4) By this time, you gnocchi should be ready. Add them to the pan with the mushrooms and sauce and stir so each bit of gnocchi is coated with the delicious sauce. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and pumpkin seeds if you are going to use them.
All in all, this meal takes about 20-25 minutes from start to finish. I suppose if you wanted to “lighten” it up, you could use milk instead of cream or eliminate it all together and use more stock.
Be sure to serve it hot…enjoy!
Chez Wittmann 