Chive Gnocchi with Wild Mushrooms Florentine

Gnocchi are light pillows of pasta begging for a rich and flavourful sauce. This soy-based, umami-centric mushroom sauce coats each and every gnocchi, creating a hearty dish that is perfect to share with family and friends. – The Vegan Bridge: Expanding Plant Based Cuisine, Romain Avril and Richelle Tablang, Whitecap Books

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Chive Gnocchi with Wild Mushrooms Florentine

Course Main Course
Servings 4 portions
Author Romain Avril and Richelle Tablang, authors of The Vegan Bridge: Expanding Plant Based Cuisine

Ingredients

  • 3 lb (1.3 kg) russet potatoes,pricked with a fork
  • 2½ cups (625 mL) all-purpose flour + more as needed
  • 1/2 Tbsp (7 mL) kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup (60 mL) finely chopped chives
  • 1 tsp (5 mL) aged balsamic vinegar, for serving
  • 1/4 cup (60 mL) grated vegan Parmesan, for serving

Mushroom Florentine Sauce

  • 1 Tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
  • 2½ cups (625 mL) oyster mushrooms, broken up into pieces
  • 2½ cups (625 mL) king oysters, cut in half then sliced into 1/4-inch (0.5 cm) thick slices
  • 2½ cups (625 mL) maitake mushrooms, broken up into pieces
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • Kosher salt
  • 3 Tbsp (45 mL) corn starch
  • 1 cup (250 mL) soy milk
  • 1 cup (250 mL) vegetable stock
  • 2 Tbsp (30 mL) nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp (5 mL) lemon juice
  • 2 cups (500 mL) spinach leaves
  • Fresh black pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 185°C (375°F).
  • Bake the potatoes directly on the oven rack for 50-75 minutes, or until soft and tender, then remove from the oven and allow them to cool. Peel the skins off the potatoes and rice them (it’s best to put them through a tamis to avoid lumps). Place the potato pulp in a medium bowl and add the flour little by little while stirring. Knead the mixture until all the flour is incorporated and the dough is no longer sticky. Add the salt and, if the dough is still sticky, add up to another ½ cup (125 mL) flour. Continue to knead until you have a smooth ball of dough.
  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. On a lightly floured bench, roll the dough into long thin ropes. Cut the ropes into 1-inch (2.5 cm) squares and roll them across the tines of a fork to leave an impression. Add about 10-15 gnocchi at a time to the boiling water (so that the water doesn't drop too much in temperature) and boil until they float. Remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon and place them in a medium bowl.
  • Repeat until all the gnocchi are cooked.

Mushroom Florentine Sauce

  • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add all of the mushrooms and sauté until golden brown (don’t stir too much). Add the garlic and 1 tsp (5 mL) salt.
  • In a medium bowl, mix the corn starch, soy milk and vegetable stock together and whisk until fully combined. Add the corn starch mixture to the mushrooms and reduce heat to medium-low; cook until thickened, stirring occasionally. Add the nutritional yeast and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Add the spinach and stir; cook until the spinach is wilted. Reduce heat to low and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.

Assembly

  • Toss the gnocchi in the mushroom sauce to combine, then add the chives and stir them in. Divide among 4 coupe bowls and serve immediately with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and a sprinkling of vegan Parmesan shavings.