Mushroom Gnocchi in Creamy Parmesan Sauce (Without Cream!)

Key Ingredients

• Extra virgin olive oil: I use it to sauté the shallot and mushrooms, then again to crisp up the gnocchi. 
• Shallot melts right into the sauce and adds a subtle savory base. If you don’t have one, a little yellow onion will work.
• Mushrooms: You can use this recipe with any time of mushroom you like. I tested this recipe with cremini and button mushrooms from the grocery store (not just foraged ones!) and I can confirm that both work beautifully. You can also use a mix of types, adding maitake, shiitake, or oyster mushrooms, too. Slice them, or cut larger ones into wedges, so they cook evenly.
• Garlic: Personally, I think garlic and mushrooms need each other. Adding freshly minced garlic gives the mushrooms a pungent edge that makes them taste even more savory. 
• Butter: Just a tablespoon combined with olive oil gives the gnocchi a rich flavor and a golden, crispy exterior.
• Fresh thyme or sage: These woodsy herbs are a natural match for mushrooms. Feel free to use one or the other, or a mix of both!
• Balsamic vinegar (optional): A splash of vinegar helps release any caramelized bits off the bottom of the pan and adds just a little nuance of sweet tanginess. Mussini Balsamic Vinegar of Modena has become my go-to. 
• Worcestershire sauce (optional): In a quick-cooking recipe, a bit of Worcestershire is my secret weapon for giving the mushrooms a boost of savory background flavor, but it’s optional.
• Potato gnocchi: Look for shelf-stable vacuum-packed gnocchi near the dried pasta, or in the refrigerated section with the fresh ravioli. Have some homemade ones stashed in the freezer? All the better!
• Milk and cornstarch: Whisked with cornstarch into a slurry, milk cooks into a silky, creamy sauce. I developed this recipe using 2% milk, but you can use any type you like! 
• Baby spinach (optional): Adding greens makes this recipe feel complete to me, and baby spinach wilts down in moments. If the leaves are small, I add them whole, but if they’re stemmy I give them a quick chop first. 
• Parmesan cheese makes the sauce nutty, salty, and rich. 

How to Make Mushroom Gnocchi

When I shared my favorite way to sauté mushrooms in my chicken Marsala recipe, I was firmly in the camp of letting them sizzle in a dry pan. A friend mentioned she swears by the opposite strategy. She cooks mushrooms covered until they slump and release their liquid, then cranks up the heat to drive off the moisture until they start to sizzle. I tried it, and I especially like it as the base for a mushroom sauce with a deep, developed flavor. Here’s how to use her technique to make this creamy mushroom gnocchi: 

• Steam the mushrooms. Warm a large (12-inch) skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat and film it with 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. Add 1 large, finely diced shallot and sauté, stirring often, until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add 1 pound mushrooms, sliced or cut into wedges, to the pan and spread them into an even layer. Season them with a pinch (about 1/2 teaspoon of each) salt and pepper. Cover and cook, without stirring, until they slump and release their liquid, about 3 minutes. 
• Sear the mushrooms. Remove the lid and cook until the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms begin to caramelize, about 3 to 6 minutes, depending on the type of mushroom and the size of the pieces. Stir, spread into an even layer, and sear, without stirring, until mushrooms are sizzling and browning, another 3 minutes. Add 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme and/or sage leaves, and stir to combine, cooking another minute until fragrant. 
• Deglaze the pan. Lower the heat to medium. Add 1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce and scrape the pan with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits clinging to the pan. Transfer the mushroom mixture to a plate and set aside. If not using the Balsamic and Worcestershire sauce you can skip this step and simply transfer the mushrooms to a plate. 
• Sizzle the gnocchi. Return the pan to the heat and add 1 tablespoon butter and the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once sizzling, add 1 (16 to 17.6 ounce) package potato gnocchi. Spread them in a single layer and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and lightly crisped, about 4 minutes. Return the mushrooms to the pan with the gnocchi, pouring in any accumulated juices. 
• Make the sauce. Whisk together 1 1/2 cups milk and 1 tablespoon cornstarch to make a slurry and pour it into the pan. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens to a velvety consistency, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1 (5 ounce) bag baby spinach and cover for a minute to steam the leaves, just until bright green.
• Finish and serve. Stir in 1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) finely grated Parmesan cheese. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper. Divide gnocchi among bowls. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Finish with a sprinkle of fresh thyme and a little extra Parmesan.

Make it Your Own

• Make it meaty: Brown some Italian sausage or meatballs (either store-bought or homemade) in the pan before sautéing the shallot, then return them to the pan along with the milk slurry at the end. You could also stir in some shredded rotisserie chicken along with the spinach, if you have it.
• Change the greens: Wilt in kale or Swiss chard, either baby leaves or full-grown ones, stemmed and chopped into postage-stamp-sized pieces. 
• Make a golden version: When I make this using chanterelles, I omit the balsamic vinegar and let the sunny flavor of the more delicate mushrooms shine! 
• Simplify it: You can skip the step of removing the mushrooms from the pan to brown the gnocchi and simply add the gnocchi directly to the mushrooms. I like the nutty flavor and color contrast browning the gnocchi on their own adds, but on a busy weeknight it’s nearly as good without this extra step. 
• Swap the cheese: I always have Parmesan on hand, but this creamy sauce would be equally delicious with another firm, grating cheese like Asiago, and equally good with a melty, fudgy Fontina, robiola, or brie. 
• Add a drizzle. If you have it on hand, a thin swizzle of sweet-and-sour balsamic glaze is a restaurant-style addition that suits the savory mushroom flavor well. A few drops of truffle oil would also make for an elegant finishing touch. 

What to Serve with Mushroom Gnocchi

The beauty of this one-pan meal is that it doesn’t need much on the side. That said, here are a few ideas to build it out into a meal.

• Offer an appetizer: Serve these simple marinated tomatoes and some crostini topped with meltingly soft cloves of garlic confit. 
• Make secondi: In Italy, pasta is typically a first course, served ahead of a meat dish. To present it this way, follow it with polpette in sugo (meatballs in tomato sauce), some garlic Parmesan chicken, or a tomatoey steak pizzaiola.  
• Add a salad: For a simpler meal, a fresh side dish helps balance the woodsy flavors of this gnocchi recipe. I think crunchy fennel salad with walnuts, or a bright and citrusy fennel orange salad would both be great matches.