So, last night I really tried something out of my comfort zone. I've never made homemade dough before, and dough in general has always kind of frightened me. Not sure why, it's just flour. I've been really wanting to start making homemade pies, and I thought making gnocchi might actually motivate me to learn how to work with dough. So, I did it. And, gosh darn it, I'm pretty good at following a recipe! The homemade gnocchi with mushroom ragu was really delicious and I think it will be staple in our house for years to come. I wish this recipe was my own, but I got it from the September 2010 Issue of the Food Network Magazine. I do have to warn you though, if you are going to attempt this recipe, allow yourself a good 3 1/2 hours from start to finish to make this meal. It's most definitely a labor of love and NOT a weekday meal. That's why I attempted this recipe on a Sunday.
*Vegetarian Friendly
Here is the recipe:
How to Make Homemade Gnocchi
Ingredients:
4 large russet potatoes
1 large egg, beaten
2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
salt & pepper
1 cup plus 2 tbsp of all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
Directions:
1. Bake the potatoes at 425 degrees, until tender (about an hour). Cool slightly then halve and scoop the flesh into a ricer or food mill; press into a bowl (NATALIE NOTE: you can also mash well with a fork or potato masher - I used a potato masher and just put some arm muscle behind it - turned out fine).
2. Add the egg, cheese, butter, 1 tsp salt, and pepper to taste, stir with a fork until combined. Add the flour and stir to make a rough dough, then mix by hand until smooth. Add more flour if it's sticky. NATALIE NOTE: You do not want sticky dough, if the dough is sticky, the dough will dissolve when you cook it. Add as much flour as you need to make the dough unsticky!
3. Gather the dough into a ball on a floured surface and divide into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a 12-inch-long, 1/2-inch-thick log with your hands (looks like a snake).
4. Cut the logs into 1-inch pieces. Freeze on floured baking sheets until ready to cook. (Once frozen, store up to 1 month in a sealed container).
How to Make Mushroom Ragu with 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 ground pepper
1/4 pound cremini mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup canned whole tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground fennel seeds
Pinch of red pepper flakes (if you want heat)
1 tbsp fresh thyme
1 1/2 pounds fresh gnocchi
Mascarpone and/or fresh mint for topping
Directions:
1. 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.
2. 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, 1 cup water, the bay leaves, coriander, fennel, red pepper flakes (optional), thyme, 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium heat, about 30 minutes (thin with water if needed). Season with salt and pepper.
3. 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 (gnocchi should be tender). Transfer with a slotted spoon to the pot with the sauce and gently stir over low heat. Serve topped with mascarpone and/or mint.
Side notes:
1. Make sure to add enough salt to your gnocchi dough. I didn't add enough salt. If you can, taste your dough before rolling to make sure it's salted enough for your liking.
2. You can use any type of mushrooms you like in the ragu. I used shitake, cremini and regular white mushrooms. Turned out very tasty. Portabello mushrooms would be good too.
3. I topped the ragu with parmesan cheese and mint.
4. Make sure you have GROUND coriander and fennel. I did not have ground coriander or ground fennel, I had whole of both seasonings, and every once in a while you got a whole piece of each seasoning.
This was a perfect meal to kick Autumn off with, it's thick like a stew and warms your belly.
Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
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