Made with store-bought or home made potato gnocchi and a creamy porcini and button mushroom sauce, this restaurant-worthy vegetarian mushroom gnocchi with stracchino recipe is stuffed with autumnal Northern Italian flavours. It’s simple sufficient for weeknights however particular sufficient to serve to visitors!
Gnocchi, funghi e stracchino.
The three major elements of potato gnocchi, mushrooms and stracchino cheese (crescenza) on this recipe are conventional autumn fare right here in Northern Italy. And, so, it is a dish you’ll more than likely come throughout on Italian tables as the new summer season climate provides solution to the cooler days of autumn/fall.
Just a little potato gnocchi historical past.
Gnocchi are actually the Italian model of dumplings and there are lots of differing kinds. The earliest proof of Italian dumplings was in what’s right this moment the Alto Adige or South Tirol. There, they made, and nonetheless make, a bread dumpling often known as canederli but additionally referred to as gnocchi di pane (bread gnocchi). There may be proof that bread dumplings existed on this area throughout Neolithic instances!
Potato gnocchi, however, date again to the newer early 18th century! Potatoes have been first dropped at Europe from South America by Spanish explorers. Through the 16th and 17th century, they have been regarded with suspicion, distaste and worry by most Europeans. In truth, they used them solely as animal meals or to feed prisoners of battle or the ravenous.
It wasn’t till the 18th century that potato gnocchi started to appear on Italian tables You’ll be able to learn extra in regards to the historical past of the various kinds of gnocchi in my Italian gnocchi put up.
Home made or store-bought gnocchi?
For quicker prep, it’s in fact higher to make use of store-bought potato gnocchi. Right here in Italy, we are able to discover superb recent ready-made gnocchi. I usually use them through the week once I don’t have time to make my very own. In truth, that’s what I used for this creamy mushroom gnocchi recipe.
Some store-bought gnocchi are made with dried potatoes, potato flakes and potato starch. I favor ones produced utilizing solely recent natural potatoes. I take advantage of a model referred to as Mamma Emma, additionally obtainable on-line in USA and UK. (not an advert!). Alternatively, home made potato gnocchi are so superb and price making. In the event you’d prefer to make your personal, right here’s my home made gnocchi recipe.
Which mushrooms are greatest for this recipe?
For this recipe, I used dried porcini and recent champignons (button mushrooms). A number of Italian mushroom pasta and mushroom gnocchi recipes name for porcini. Italians love mushroom looking and foraging could be very in style, significantly within the early autumn and spring. There are lots of sorts of edible wild mushrooms however probably the most wanted are Boletus edulis, or the king bolete, identified to most of us as porcini or ceps.
Historically, Italian would use recent porcini mushrooms in a recipe like this one. Nonetheless, many additionally use frozen or dried as an alternative of recent. When utilizing dried mushrooms, it’s essential to soak them in heat water for not less than half-hour earlier than cooking them.
Different sorts of mushrooms are extra available recent and are cheaper. As I discussed above, I included recent white champignons (button mushrooms). Nonetheless, you should use different sorts of champignons similar to cremini (child bellas) or portobellos. Chanterelle mushrooms and king oysters can be excellent too.
What’s stracchino cheese?
The creaminess of this mushroom sauce comes largely from using stracchino cheese. Stracchino (stra-key-no) also referred to as quartirolo or crescenza, is a recent younger cheese with a really mushy, creamy and buttery texture and a gentle and delicate flavour. It’s a kind of Italian cow’s-milk cheese, typical of Lombardy, Piedmont, Veneto, and Liguria.
The identify ‘stracchino’ derives from the truth that this cheese was initially made after the cows returned from their alpine pastures on the finish of summer season. They have been stated to be weary or drained (stracco) from the journey. Nonetheless, the phrase ‘crescenza’ apparently comes from the Latin ‘crescentia’, that means to develop. This identify comes from the truth that when left in a heat place, this cheese tends to extend in measurement like rising bread dough!
Substitutes for stracchino (crescenza).
If stracchino (crescenza) isn’t obtainable, you possibly can substitute with mascarpone, cream cheese, fontina or taleggio. The latter has a stronger flavour than stracchino, so in case you use it the flavour of the sauce might be completely different.
Find out how to make creamy mushroom gnocchi.
As with all recipes, step one to creating this mushroom gnocchi is to arrange the elements. Fortunately this dish doesn’t have many, so it received’t take lengthy! In case you are utilizing dried porcini put them to soak in heat water. Then clear and chop the opposite mushrooms. I normally simply wipe them with a material. Mushrooms take in water, so it’s higher to not wash them.
Aside from the mushrooms, the one different issues to arrange are to peel the garlic and wash and chop the parsley. Oh, and put a pot of water on to boil for the gnocchi. This recipe could be on the desk within the time it takes to boil the water and cook dinner the gnocchi.
To cook dinner the sauce, simply sauté the garlic in olive oil. Then add the chopped champignons and a few parsley. Prepare dinner till the mushrooms begin to soften. Drain the porcini and chop them into small items and add to the opposite mushrooms. Proceed cooking the mushrooms when you soften the stracchino with somewhat milk in a separate pan.
Lastly, as soon as all of the mushrooms begin to brown somewhat add the melted stracchino. Combine all the things collectively properly and season with salt and pepper as required. Then cook dinner your gnocchi and when they’re prepared, drain and add them to the mushroom and stracchino sauce. Combine collectively fastidiously and serve with chopped recent parsley.
What to do with leftovers.
I doubt you’ll have leftovers of this creamy mushroom gnocchi with stracchino. BUT, in case you do, they’ll hold sealed within the fridge for a day or two. The sauce tends to dry out, however you possibly can fry the leftovers in some butter and sprinkle with grated parmesan.
N.B. This recipe is vegetarian however Italian parmigiano or grana will not be. Subsequently, vegetarians will wish to use a vegetarian cheese if including grated cheese to the recipe or leftovers.
Let me know what you suppose.
This creamy mushroom gnocchi was an enormous hit with my household and I’m positive it will likely be with yours too. In the event you strive it, please do let me know what you suppose. I’d love to listen to the way it seems. Please write a remark right here on the weblog, electronic mail me or put up a touch upon the Pasta Venture Fb web page.
Buon Appetito!
Do take a look at the hyperlinks to different mushroom gnocchi or pasta recipes after the recipe.
Creamy Mushroom Gnocchi with Stracchino (Crescenza)
Made with store-bought or home made potato gnocchi and a creamy porcini and button mushroom sauce this restaurant worthy vegetarian mushroom gnocchi with stracchino recipe is simple sufficient for weeknights however particular sufficient to serve to visitors! Stuffed with Italian fall flavours this recipe makes an incredible aspect dish with meat or poultry.
Substances
- 1 lb recent mushrooms (500g) I used button mushrooms. additionally good with cremini, portabello, chanterelle and king oysters
- 2 oz dried porcini (50g) soaked in heat water for half-hour
- 2 garlic cloves peeled
- recent parsley washed and chopped
- 10.5 oz stracchino cheese (300g) additionally referred to as crescenza. Or mascarpone, cream cheese, fontina or taleggio.
- 5-8 tbsp recent milk you could want extra relying on the cheese.
- 14 oz potato gnocchi The model I take advantage of is known as Mamma Emma and could be present in USA & UK.
- 3 tbsp additional virgin olive oil you too can use butter
- salt for gnocchi and to style
- freshly floor black pepper to style
Directions
Make the sauce.
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Sauté the garlic in olive oil till it softens then add the recent mushrooms and a few chopped parsley. Prepare dinner till the mushrooms begin to soften.
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Drain the porcini, chop them into small items and add to the opposite mushrooms. Combine collectively and proceed to cook dinner till they begin to brown.
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Whereas the mushrooms cook dinner, soften the stracchino cheese within the milk over a low warmth till it turns into a clean sauce. You will want to maintain stirring to assist take away lumps and cease the sauce from burning. Add extra milk if wanted.
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When the mushrooms are cooked pour the stracchino sauce into the pan and blend all the things collectively. Simmer for a few minutes.
Notes
I included recent white champignons (button mushrooms). However, you should use different sorts of champignons similar to cremini (child bellas) or portobellos. Chanterelle mushrooms and king oysters can be excellent too. It’s also possible to make this recipe with out porcini.
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Different mushroom gnocchi recipes to strive.
Scrumptious Italian mushroom pasta recipes in your desk.
- Olive leaf pasta with king oyster mushroom recipe from Puglia.
- Mezzi paccheri with mushrooms and cream recipe from Naples.
- Tagliatelle with porcini recipe from Tuscany
- Italian salt cod and porcini tagliatelle recipe from Abruzzo
- Spaghetti ‘mare e monti’ recipe from Marche.
In case you are serious about studying learn how to make home made pasta and various kinds of gnocchi, take a look at my store web page for some nice video on-line programs from my mates in Rome! Nothing beats studying to make pasta from Italians! Plus when you’re there why not order a replica of pasta recipe cookbooks or some Italian pasta making instruments? Additionally nice presents for pasta lovers!
