Gnocchi with Wild Mushroom Ragu

Last night i made Gnocchi. Its like a soft little pillow of yums! Its texture is so soft and its not a texture that any other food really has. Its pretty unique and its not hard to make at all. I made mine from scratch.

I got this recipe from the Food Network Magazine: August 2010. The magazine supplies you with pictures on how to make it -- heres the link. Its alot tastier to make your own fresh because sometimes frozen dough can taste a little gross when it sits for a while.

The sauce was insanely delicious. Had such a good flavor. I want to try to make it with maybe ground beef and add regular pasta to it. Its a really hearty sauce. DELISH!

Heres the recipe for the sauce and what you'll need for the gnocchi.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 2 small carrots, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 2 pounds wild mushrooms, stemmed and diced if large
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 pound cremini mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup canned whole San Marzano tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh gnocchi (4 russet potatoes, 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, 1 large egg, salt and pepper to taste, 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour)
• Mascarpone and/or fresh mint, for topping

Preparations:

Use the simple, step-by-step instructions for making homemade gnocchi.

Heat half of the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add half of the wild mushrooms and cook until golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then push to the edges of the pot. Add the remaining olive oil and wild mushrooms and cook 3 to 5 more minutes. Add the cremini mushrooms and cook 1 more minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, about 2 minutes. Add the wine; cook, scraping up any browned bits, about 2 more minutes. Add the tomatoes, 2 cups water, the bay leaves, coriander, fennel, red pepper flakes, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium heat, about 30 minutes (thin with water if needed). Season with salt and pepper.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi, stir and cook for 1 minute after they float, about 3 minutes total. Transfer with a slotted spoon to the pot with the sauce and gently stir over low heat. Serve topped with mascarpone and/or mint.

So since fall is here, its time to make warm and comforting food. This recipe is a great start!

Its pumpkin season so look forward to a few recipes including them. Not going to be cooking this week; ran a little low on funds again! I will be back around the first week of October or so.

Enjoy!!