Home-made Gnocchi & Creamy Mushroom Sauce

This week’s post was a bit of a challenge, but me-oh-my it was delicious!

When Taylor and I were in Venice we literally got lost trying to find a restaurant someone from back home told us about. “A hidden gem with melt-in-your-mouth gnocchi.”

Making this meal at home was quite a workload, but it was worth it. If you have time on your hands I suggest giving it a try. If not, at least make this bruschetta recipe! It’s easy, flavorful and a crowd pleaser!

Bruschetta Ingredients: 

• One organic fresh-baked Italian loaf 
• 4-6 large organic tomatoes, diced
• 2 organic garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 organic onion, chopped
• Chopped basil
• 1/4 t pepper
• 1/2 t sea salt
• 3 T olive oil
• 2 1/4 T balsamic vinegar
• Parmesan-reggiano cheese

Directions: 

• Combine garlic, basil, olive oil, vinegar, onion, salt, and pepper in a bowl, mix well
• Toss tomatoes with marinade and let them soak about 15 minutes
• Meanwhile, warm bread in the oven – don’t burn!
• After tomatoes have marinated, spoon the mixture onto the bread slices
• Sprinkle parmesan-reggiano on top
• Put back in the oven to slightly melt the cheese, just a few minutes
• Serve!

Ingredients, Gnocchi: 

• 2 1/2 organic peeled potatoes
• 3 organic egg yolks
• 1/2 c organic grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 t grated nutmeg
• 1/4 t pepper
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 c organic flour

Directions, Gnocchi: 

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, boil peeled potatoes until soft enough to finely mash
• Drain, cool and mash
• Put potatoes on work space and make a crater in the center
• Add eggs, pepper, salt, nutmeg, and cheese into the center
• Knead
• Slowly add flour, kneading in
• When mixture is not sticking to work space or fingers anymore, form a ball and cover with plastic wrap
• Refrigerate for about 30 minutes
• Place dough on work space and cut into four pie-shaped pieces
• Roll each piece out into a long cylinder shape, cut into gnocchi size pieces (see image)
• Indent gnocchi with fork to give texture
• Throw in boiling water to cook, gnocchi is done when it floats to the top – about 3 to 5 minutes (best when soft enough to melt in your mouth!)

Ingredients, Creamy Fontina & Mushroom Sauce:

• 1/4 chopped organic onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 4 T organic butter
• 2/3 c organic heavy cream
• 2/3 c organic vegetable broth
• 4 oz organic Fontina cheese, cubed
• 3 T Parmesan cheese
• 1 c organic mushrooms
• Chopped basil
• Pepper

Directions, Sauce: 

• Melt butter, garlic & onions in large sauce pan until onion is soft
• Add cream & vegetable oil
• Cook on medium heat, almost boiling
• Add cheeses until they melt, do not boil
• Add mushrooms, basil and pepper
• Cook until mushrooms are tender
• *Sauce may become thin/thick depending on the cheese. Add more broth or cheese as you feel necessary
• Add gnocchi and mix well
• Serve while still hot and creamy!

If you’re ever in Venice go to Da Mamo and order gnocchi – it’s to die for…