Potato Gnocchi with Savory Mushroom Sauce

Whenever I see gnocchi on a restaurant menu I always ask if it’s house-made—and if it is, I will order it. There’s nothing like fresh, pillowy gnocchi, and after the first time I made it myself, I was hooked. When I started brainstorming Pesach recipes, my first thought was potatoes—but elevated. That’s when I knew I had to develop a gnocchi recipe for Pesach. While it does take a little more effort than my usual recipes, it’s absolutely worth it. The soft, delicate gnocchi soak up the rich, umami-packed mushroom sauce, making this the perfect Pesach appetizer.

Yields 8-10 servings

5 lbs. russet (Idaho) potatoes

1¾ cups potato starch, plus more for

coating

2 eggs, beaten

Olive oil, for frying

Savory mushroom sauce (recipe below)

1. Boil the potatoes in a large pot until fork-tender.

1. Drain and let cool slightly.

1. Pass the potatoes through a potato ricer or fine strainer into a large bowl.

1. Add the potato starch and eggs and gently fold everything together until a soft dough forms.

1. Divide the dough into sections and roll each section into a long rope on a surface lightly dusted with potato starch.

1. Cut into bite-sized pieces an dust them with a thin sprinkle of potato starch to keep them from sticking to each other.

7. Arrange the coated gnocchi in a single layer on a parchment-lined sheet pan and freeze for 1 hour or until ready to cook.

8. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.

9. Carefully drop the gnocchi in the pot in batches, cooking until they float to the surface, about 1-2 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon.

10. Heat a nonstick frying pan with olive oil and sear the gnocchi in batches for about 5 minutes per side, until golden brown

Savory Mushroom Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced

7 oz. shiitake mushrooms, sliced

20 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced

4 tablespoons potato starch

1 cup water

2 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon pepper

11. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat.

12. Add the onions and cook until soft and golden.

13. Add the mushrooms and cook until they release their liquid and begin to brown, stirring occasionally.

14. Continue cooking until all the liquid has evaporated.

15. In a small bowl, whisk together the potato starch and water to create a slurry.

16. Pour the slurry into the pan, stirring constantly, and cook until the sauce thickens.

17. Season with salt and pepper.

18. Serve hot over the potato gnocchi.

Recipe featured in the Whisk by Ami Magazine

Recipe by Yocheved Shvarzblat

Photo by Sruly Fryde