Creamy Mushroom Gnocchi with Kalamatas + Herbs

When Thursday hits, I’m ready to be a little bad. Some people love a Thirsty Thursday moment, but my Thirsty Thursday is a big bowl a sauced up pasta with extra cheese. Just me + my pasta curled up on the couch with my dogs + a movie. It’s my kind of girl dinner when I find myself home alone, which is exactly what happened this week. So my “girl dinner” of the week - this Creamy Mushroom Gnocchi with Kalamatas + Herbs. Kalamatas in a pasta? I was intrigued, and it was so good! A creamy, decadent pasta with the perfect balance of bright + tangy olive bits. It seems wild, but it works, and it feels like a brightened up version of a classic creamy mushroom sauce. The dash of lemon + bits of olive add this brightness to the pasta, and it was such a fun twist to a classic.

 
 

Butter seared mushrooms forever!

A pasta that starts with mushrooms caramelized in butter is always a good idea. These butter toasted shrooms are the heart of the whole sauce! They’re earthy and stand in a lane of their own in this creamy, parmesan sauce.

The key - give them plenty of time to get browned + a little crispy before deglazing the pan with the wine.

A creamy, cheesy sauce

The sauce will come together quick! Once the cheesy + cream start bubbling together, it thickens up pretty instantly. Be sure to stir it the entire time to make sur ethe cheese melts in + doesn’t burn, gently scraping the bottom of the pan. Think a light simmer. The sauce will coat all the veggies + gnocchi pieces perfectly, and you can always add a dash of stock if it gets a little too thick.

 
 

Big news: you can cook with champagne!

First thing to know - a dry sparkling wine is a very suitable addition to a white wine sauce. Important for the sparkling wine lovers, which in this case is me. When you’re making a pasta sauce that calls for wine, you might as well get one you want to drink too. When it comes to white wine, it a sparkling wine or bust for me. After quite a bit of Googling, I felt good about cracking open a bottle of sparkling - a little for me + a little for the pasta. It was great! Literally the same as using a white wine, so my days of buying a bottle of pinot gris that I’ll never drink are over.

A perfect bowl of pasta for a lazy night in. Loved every bite of this one!

 
 

For the pasta

  • 1 package of gnocchi (I used cauliflower gnocchi)

  • 2 tbsp. butter

  • 1/2 lb cremini mushrooms, sliced

  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped

  • 1/2 c. white wine (I used a dry sparkling wine because why not?)

  • 1/2 c. heavy cream

  • salt + pepper

  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

  • 1/2 c. parmesan

  • 2 heaping tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

  • 1/2 c. kalamata olives, chopped

Start by placing the butter in a pan over medium heat. Once it’s melted + bubbly, add in the sliced mushrooms. Stir to coat the mushrooms in the butter, and them let them sear (untouched) for 5 minutes. Stir again, and let them continue to cook for another 5-7 minutes

Lesley ZehnerComment