It is no secret that while I have both Italian & Irish in my heritage, my taste buds are decidedly Irish. I prefer meat & potatoes over pasta. The perfect marriage of both sides of my food heritage are gnocchi, Italian potato dumplings prepared & served like pasta.

Gnocchi means “lumps” in Italian. These small dumplings are made with potatoes and flour. Cooked potatoes are mashed, then combined with flour into a dough that is formed into small pieces. Cooking them in boiling water transforms them into light, fluffy pillows. They are my go-to item when we dine out at Italian restaurants. As we have not yet been able to replicate my Nona’s perfect homemade gnocchi, we rely on frozen ones widely available in grocery stores and Italian markets when we prepare them at home. While they are great with either marinara or pesto and perfect with Parmesan, they are even better with a wine & butter sauce. Here, mushrooms & basil are added to the wine & butter sauce and topped with Parmesan cheese. This dish recently made for a great Meatless Monday meal, then a delicious side for some salmon a few days later.

Gnocchi with Mushrooms

Gnocchi and Mushrooms (adapted from thekitchn.com)  Serves 2, Time Required: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces fresh or frozen gnocchi
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 4 ounces cremini mushrooms, stems removed and quartered
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
• grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Instructions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the gnocchi according to the package instructions. Drain it and and set the gnocchi aside.

Cook the gnocchi according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. When the butter is melted and bubbling, add the mushrooms to the pan.

Add the mushrooms to the melted butter.

Season them with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are softened and lightly browned, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Season the mushrooms with salt & pepper.

Stir in the garlic and cook until it is fragrant, about 1 minute.

Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Continue to cook the mushrooms in the wine until the wine is reduced by half.

Add the wine to the pan.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, basil, and lemon juice to the pan.

Add the rest of the butter, the basil, and lemon juice to the pan.

Add in the gnocchi. Swirl the ingredients around the pan so everything is well-coated, and cook until it is all heated through and the flavors meld, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the gnocchi to the pan.

Serve immediately, topped with grated Parmesan cheese.

Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

Perfect pillows of potato in a rich & delicious sauce!  ~Linda

Gnocchi and Mushrooms (adapted from thekitchn.com)  Serves 2, Time Required: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces fresh or frozen gnocchi
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 4 ounces cremini mushrooms, stems removed and quartered
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
• grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Instructions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the gnocchi according to the package instructions. Drain it and and set the gnocchi aside.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. When the butter is melted and bubbling, add the mushrooms to the pan. Season them with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are softened and lightly browned, about 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until it is fragrant, about 1 minute.

Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Continue to cook the mushrooms in the wine until the wine is reduced by half. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, basil, and lemon juice to the pan. Add in the gnocchi. Swirl the ingredients around the pan so everything is well-coated, and cook until it is all heated through and the flavors meld, about 1 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately, topped with grated Parmesan cheese.