Guest Post: Gnocchi in a Mushroom Cream Sauce by Strawberries for Supper
We have a guest in the kitchen! We’re thrilled to have the wonderful Christina of Strawberries for Supper back with us again. She’s sharing a dish that seems fancy, but is easy enough to tackle for an average weeknight dinner.
I’m Christina from Strawberries for Supper, and I’m happy to be guest blogging again for Mushrooms Canada. I never tire of coming up with new ways to use one of my favourite ingredients. This time I’ve gone for simple comfort in the form of a creamy sauce loaded with mushrooms to go with some store-bought gnocchi.
The super simple sauce starts with a few slices of pancetta and butter to build flavour. I like using a mix of crimini mushrooms and shiitake just to add a little style to a rather simple dish but classic button mushrooms would work just as well.
Once the mushrooms and garlic get cozy with some white wine and cream they only need to simmer for a few minutes with the lid on the pan. Once everything has had time to simmer, you can start on the gnocchi since it only takes three minutes.
I highly recommend indulging in this as a very filling meal for two greedy people but you can serve it as a side dish for a larger family meal. It would go really well with a roasted chicken, or some pork chops. Simply toss together a garden salad and you have yourself winning meal.
Gnocchi in a Mushroom Cream Sauce
Prep 10 mins | Cooking Time: 25 mins | Serves: 4
1 tbsp butter
4 slices of pancetta, chopped
200 grams crimini mushrooms, sliced
100 grams shiitake mushrooms, sliced
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup white wine
¾ cup whipping cream
500 gram package gnocchi (found in pasta section of the grocery store)
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Method
1. In a large sauté pan that has a lid, heat the olive oil and butter on medium high. Add the chopped pancetta and spread it out in the pan so it crisps up evenly. Cook until the pancetta is crispy, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the pancetta and set it aside to be put back in later.
2. Add all the sliced mushrooms and the salt and pepper. You may need to another tablespoon of oil if the pan seems really dry. Move the mushrooms around frequently with a spatula. After they release the liquid they hold in them, the mushrooms will brown nicely. It will take about 8-10 minutes to fully brown the mushrooms.
3. Once the mushrooms are browned, add the garlic and sautee the garlic for about 1 minute with the mushrooms. Then add the white wine and use your spatula to scrape up and brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the wine simmer for a minute and then add in the cream.
4. Stir the cream sauce and mushrooms together. Put the lid on the pan and turn the heat down to low.
5. While the mushrooms simmer, bring a large pot of water to the boil. Once it is boiling, add in all the gnocchi from the package and stir them around so they don’t stick to the bottom. Once the gnocchi float to the top, transfer them to the pan with the mushroom sauce using a slotted spoon. Do not over boil the gnocchi or they will get gluey.
6. Toss the gnocchi in the sauce along with the crispy pancetta that had been set aside earlier. Sprinkle some chopped fresh parsley over the dish if you have it. Serve immediately.
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With back-to-school season upon us again, we’re all going to need to have quick, easy meals on hand. Thank you, as always, to Christina for showing us how easy it is to impress with a simple meal!
Follow along with Christina at Strawberries For Supper and on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest!
