Whole Wheat Gnocchi with Wild Mushroom Sauce

I had been looking for a mushroom-based pasta dish for quite some time, and I finally found this delicious wild mushroom sauce by Martha Stewart. I’ve reduced the calorie load in the sauce by replacing heavy cream with light cream and I’ve substituted wheat flour for regular flour in this basic gnocchi recipe. The substitutions worked seamlessly into the recipe and the sauce was incredibly creamy and flavorful. If you don’t want to go through the work of making the gnocchi then you can prepare this simple sauce and toss it with your favorite pasta.

Shopping List

For the gnocchi:

• 2 lbs. baking potatoes
• 1½ cups whole wheat flour
• 2 eggs yolks, beaten
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

For the mushroom sauce:

• ½ lb. cremini mushrooms
• ½ lb. shitake mushrooms, stems removed
• ¼ cup shallots, minced
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• ¼ cup chicken stock
• 1½ cups light cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• Parmesan cheese for topping

Recipe

Makes six servings.

For the gnocchi:

Preheat the oven to 350º.

Poke the potatoes with a fork before placing them on a baking sheet and baking them for one hour.

Remove the potatoes and slice them in half lengthwise to cool.

While still warm, scoop the potato from the skins into a big bowl then mash together until very smooth.

Add in the whole wheat flour, egg yolks and salt. Mix with your hands until pliable.

Dust your work area with flour then break the dough into balls and roll it with your hands into 3/4-inch rolls.

Cut the tubes into 1-inch long gnocchi then press each one against a fork to create indentations (this will help the sauce stick).

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop in a portion of the gnocchi and let boil for 3-4 minutes or until the gnocchi float to the top of the water.

Remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon and serve with mushroom sauce (recipe below).

*Helpful Hint: The key with the gnocchi is to make sure the potatoes are incredibly creamy before adding in the other ingredients. If the potatoes are too chunky then the dough will not be smooth.

For the wild mushroom sauce:

Rub the tops of the mushrooms with a damp towel to clean them then cut them into ¼-inch slices.

In a large skillet over low heat, melt the butter. Add the shallots and allow them to cook until translucent.

Raise the heat to medium, add in the mushrooms and the sprigs of thyme. Let cook for 4-5 minutes until the mushrooms begin to brown.

Remove the sprigs of thyme then add in the chicken stock. Let reduce for 3 minutes.

Add in the cream, salt and pepper. Let simmer for 5-10 minutes until thickened.