Prep time
2 hours
Cook time
10 minutes
Course
Main
Skill level
Intermediate
Season
Summer
Serves
2
Gnocchi, pronounced "no-key," is a pasta consisting of little potato pillows of love that are the perfect vessel for a variety of sauces and toppings. Freshly foraged chanterelle mushrooms really shine with this homemade pasta and are accompanied with a sauce that comes together quick but offers an incredible depth of flavor.
In my opinion, gnocchi is probably the hardest pasta to get right. It's finicky, relies heavily on the moisture content of the potato you use, and technique is crucial to achieving the right texture. They'll stick together and become gummy if left out. You'll see the trend in the recipe of having to flour at almost every step of making the gnocchi. It's important to do this. Just shake off any excess before you drop them into the boiling water. Gnocchi does not fare well overnight in the refrigerator, either. It's best to cook the pasta fresh or immediately after thawing.
I always make extra, regardless of how many folks I plan on serving. So even though I developed this recipe for two people, you'll still have a bunch of gnocchi to play around with later. It freezes surprisingly well, so with all the hard work you’ll put in, it makes sense to reward yourself with a quick and simple meal in the future.
I'm going to advocate for the bench scraper on this recipe too. Get one. It comes in handy for many applications, from scooping, scraping, and folding to mixing. It's a great tool to have in your kitchen arsenal. Also, get yourself a potato ricer. It's a game-changer for mashed potatoes. Look no further than this gadget for the smoothest, silkiest spuds you've ever had.
Ingredients
Gnocchi
- 4 lbs. russet potato
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (you'll need another cup or so for the table, sheet tray, and rolling the gnocchi)
Pasta
- 8 oz. fresh gnocchi
- 4 oz. chanterelle mushrooms, torn or sliced
- 4 oz. heirloom cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup white wine
- ¼ cup shallot, thinly sliced
- 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp. garlic, minced
- 2 tsp. fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 2 tsp. nonpareil capers
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. sherry vinegar (optional)
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- ½ tsp. cracked black pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Freshly grated parmesan
- Fresh basil and parsley
Also works with
Preparation
- Bake the potatoes: Place the potatoes on a sheet tray-season with oil and salt. Puncture each potato a few times. Bake the potatoes at 400ºF until knife tender. Test by making sure a knife can easily slip through the middle of the potato without resistance, around 60 to 90 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes. Once fully cooked, cut in half lengthwise and allow steam to escape to dry and cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Make the gnocchi dough: With a spoon, remove as much of the potato from the skin as you can. Pass the potato through a ricer or break up with a fork or whisk until rice consistency onto a clean surface. Spread the riced potato evenly to about ½ inch of thickness. Add the flour evenly over the top of the potato then sprinkle the salt evenly over the flour. Squeeze the egg yolks with your hand evenly over the top. Slowly fold the ingredients together until everything is incorporated. It comes together quickly. Make sure not to overwork the dough. Cut the dough into 6 to 8 portions.
- Roll out the gnocchi: On a lightly floured surface, gently roll each piece of dough out with your hands into tubes between ½ and ¾ inch wide. Sprinkle with flour. Cut your gnocchi to the desired size and toss lightly with some flour to keep them from sticking together. Place on a floured sheet tray. Freeze what you won't use on a sheet tray, and keep what you will cook refrigerated. Ensure that the gnocchi is in an even layer on the tray if you're freezing. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag or vacuum seal.
- Prep the ingredients: Clean and cut the chanterelles. Mince the garlic and slice the shallot. Squeeze the lemon and slice the tomatoes in half. Measure out your liquids and remaining ingredients so they are easily accessible.
- Boil the gnocchi: Try to drop the gnocchi at the same time as you are cooking the pasta ingredients, preferably right after you add the white wine (see below). Or boil them right after you cook the pasta ingredients. Boil the gnocchi in lightly salted water until they float and boil for thirty more seconds—about three minutes total.
- Make the pasta: Add three tablespoons of butter and mushrooms to a saute pan on high heat. Saute for about one minute. Now add the garlic, shallot, caper, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the shallots begin to brown on the edges. About one minute. Deglaze with the sherry vinegar. Add the white wine and lemon. Reduce the wine by half or until it begins to thicken. Add the gnocchi and the halved cherry tomatoes. Toss and cook for 10 to 15 seconds. Pull from heat and add the remaining butter and check for seasoning. The sauce should be fairly thick and evenly coat the gnocchi. If you prefer a thinner sauce, add a few tablespoons of pasta water at the end. Serve immediately with extra virgin olive oil, freshly grated parmesan, and chopped fresh herbs.
Chanterelle Gnocchi
Prep time
2 hours
Cook time
10 minutes
Course
Main
Skill level
Intermediate
Season
Summer
Serves
2
Gnocchi, pronounced "no-key," is a pasta consisting of little potato pillows of love that are the perfect vessel for a variety of sauces and toppings. Freshly foraged chanterelle mushrooms really shine with this homemade pasta and are accompanied with a sauce that comes together quick but offers an incredible depth of flavor.
In my opinion, gnocchi is probably the hardest pasta to get right. It's finicky, relies heavily on the moisture content of the potato you use, and technique is crucial to achieving the right texture. They'll stick together and become gummy if left out. You'll see the trend in the recipe of having to flour at almost every step of making the gnocchi. It's important to do this. Just shake off any excess before you drop them into the boiling water. Gnocchi does not fare well overnight in the refrigerator, either. It's best to cook the pasta fresh or immediately after thawing.
I always make extra, regardless of how many folks I plan on serving. So even though I developed this recipe for two people, you'll still have a bunch of gnocchi to play around with later. It freezes surprisingly well, so with all the hard work you’ll put in, it makes sense to reward yourself with a quick and simple meal in the future.
I'm going to advocate for the bench scraper on this recipe too. Get one. It comes in handy for many applications, from scooping, scraping, and folding to mixing. It's a great tool to have in your kitchen arsenal. Also, get yourself a potato ricer. It's a game-changer for mashed potatoes. Look no further than this gadget for the smoothest, silkiest spuds you've ever had.
Ingredients
Gnocchi
- 4 lbs. russet potato
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (you'll need another cup or so for the table, sheet tray, and rolling the gnocchi)
Pasta
- 8 oz. fresh gnocchi
- 4 oz. chanterelle mushrooms, torn or sliced
- 4 oz. heirloom cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup white wine
- ¼ cup shallot, thinly sliced
- 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp. garlic, minced
- 2 tsp. fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 2 tsp. nonpareil capers
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. sherry vinegar (optional)
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- ½ tsp. cracked black pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Freshly grated parmesan
- Fresh basil and parsley
Also works with
Preparation
- Bake the potatoes: Place the potatoes on a sheet tray-season with oil and salt. Puncture each potato a few times. Bake the potatoes at 400ºF until knife tender. Test by making sure a knife can easily slip through the middle of the potato without resistance, around 60 to 90 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes. Once fully cooked, cut in half lengthwise and allow steam to escape to dry and cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Make the gnocchi dough: With a spoon, remove as much of the potato from the skin as you can. Pass the potato through a ricer or break up with a fork or whisk until rice consistency onto a clean surface. Spread the riced potato evenly to about ½ inch of thickness. Add the flour evenly over the top of the potato then sprinkle the salt evenly over the flour. Squeeze the egg yolks with your hand evenly over the top. Slowly fold the ingredients together until everything is incorporated. It comes together quickly. Make sure not to overwork the dough. Cut the dough into 6 to 8 portions.
- Roll out the gnocchi: On a lightly floured surface, gently roll each piece of dough out with your hands into tubes between ½ and ¾ inch wide. Sprinkle with flour. Cut your gnocchi to the desired size and toss lightly with some flour to keep them from sticking together. Place on a floured sheet tray. Freeze what you won't use on a sheet tray, and keep what you will cook refrigerated. Ensure that the gnocchi is in an even layer on the tray if you're freezing. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag or vacuum seal.
- Prep the ingredients: Clean and cut the chanterelles. Mince the garlic and slice the shallot. Squeeze the lemon and slice the tomatoes in half. Measure out your liquids and remaining ingredients so they are easily accessible.
- Boil the gnocchi: Try to drop the gnocchi at the same time as you are cooking the pasta ingredients, preferably right after you add the white wine (see below). Or boil them right after you cook the pasta ingredients. Boil the gnocchi in lightly salted water until they float and boil for thirty more seconds—about three minutes total.
- Make the pasta: Add three tablespoons of butter and mushrooms to a saute pan on high heat. Saute for about one minute. Now add the garlic, shallot, caper, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the shallots begin to brown on the edges. About one minute. Deglaze with the sherry vinegar. Add the white wine and lemon. Reduce the wine by half or until it begins to thicken. Add the gnocchi and the halved cherry tomatoes. Toss and cook for 10 to 15 seconds. Pull from heat and add the remaining butter and check for seasoning. The sauce should be fairly thick and evenly coat the gnocchi. If you prefer a thinner sauce, add a few tablespoons of pasta water at the end. Serve immediately with extra virgin olive oil, freshly grated parmesan, and chopped fresh herbs.