This dish was inspired by Jamie Oliver's recipe by the same name. Only he makes his own gnocchi, of course. But I'm doing the single parent gig while Adam is out of town this week, and there's just no way I'm making my own gnocchi on a weeknight. I used packaged. It was a shortcut that I deemed totally worth it, in this case.
Adapted from Jamie Oliver's Cook with Jamie
1 package frozen gnocchi (16 oz)
olive oil
pinch of red pepper flakes
6 oz. baby portobello mushrooms, sliced or torn
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 1/2 c. vegetable stock or water24 sage leaves
a small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Parmesan cheese, for grating
Heat a large frying pan over med-high heat then add about 4 tbsp. of olive oil. Add the whole sage leaves and fry until crisp. Drain on paper towels. In the same pan over med-high, add another 2-4 tbsp. of olive oil. Add the mushrooms and toss for 2-3 minutes, then add the pepper flakes, garlic, salt, pepper, and butter. When the garlic is slightly golden, add stock or water and continue to cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the frozen gnocchi to the mushroom mixture with the chopped parsley and mix well. Be gentle and keep on heat only until thawed; otherwise, it'll just turned into mashed potatoes. Serve with the crispy sage, some grated Parmesan for garnish, and any leftover parsley. Serves 2-3.
I opened one of my favorite wines with this - a Cotes du Rhone - and it paired pretty well. Nevertheless, I wonder if a Pinot Noir might have been better?
Slight wine misstep aside, this was a warm, comforting way to unwind after a challenging day. Pairing it with AbFab's Eddy and Pats reminded me not to take anything, particularly this week, too seriously.
Eat, drink, and relax, sweetie daaaahling!
