Gnocchi with Wild Mushroom Ragu

This recipe takes time and effort. I'd argue it's worth it -- and the man of my life feels even stronger than I do. Fun bit of trivia: apparently Dia de los Ñoquis is celebrated in a few South American countries on the 29th of every month.  I couldn't wait that long to post my recipe.  Now that you have it: Go get the ingredients in advance, and make yourself a really special dinner on the 29th of September!  It's a Saturday, so you'll have all day to make it!

We've cooked this recipe probably four times now.  The second (or third) time was in Colorado, for my parents.  We told a friend's dad, who's an amazing cook, that we had to get going so we could buy 2 pounds of wild mushrooms.  His priceless response?
"That's gonna be one heck of an earthy sauce."

Earthy is right.  The sauce is deep and toothsome, brimming with tender mushrooms and a base of tomato.  The mushrooms are so rich, you might be convinced I'd cooked with beef.  The unique combination of spices bring all the mushrooms' disparate flavors out into the open: fennel for complex coolness, thyme for vibrancy, pepper flakes for heat.

Use any mushroom varieties you can get your hands on.  This time we had dried porcini, soaked for an hour beforehand, plus fresh oyster and cremini - and the bitter end of a package of button mushrooms, for good measure.

Gnocchi with Wild Mushroom Ragu

adapted from Food Network Magazine

prep time: 30 minutes
cook time: 2 hours 15 minutes

serves 6

ingredients:

for the gnocchi

4 large russet potatoes, pricked with a fork
1 large egg, beaten
2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
salt and pepper
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour, plus more for dusting

for the ragu

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 freshly ground pepper
1/4 pound cremini mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup canned whole San Marzano tomatoes (use "regular" canned peeled tomatoes if you can't find San Marzano)
4 bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons fresh thyme (or 1 tbsp dried)
1 1/2 pounds fresh gnocchi
Mascarpone and/or fresh mint, for topping

directions:

You can prepare the gnocchi in advance, but don't boil them until the ragu recipe says to.  Fresh-cooked is absolutely best.

for gnocchi:

Bake the potatoes at 425 F (200 C) for about an hour, until tender.  Let them cool, then cut in half and scoop out the flesh.  Press through a ricer or mash well with a fork. 

In a large bowl, mix the egg, cheese, butter and salt & pepper to taste, until combined.  Add the flour and mix it up thoroughly with your hands until it forms a smooth dough that doesn't stick -- add more flour if needed.

Roll the dough into a ball, then divide into 8 pieces.  Take one piece and roll, on a floured surface, into a log about 1 inch wide.  Cut into 1- or 2-inch pieces.  Repeat on all of the dough.  Store on a floured surface; you can freeze them for later, too.  Once they're frozen, move them to an airtight container, where they will keep for a month.

for ragu:

Heat half the olive oil in a large pot on medium-high.  Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add half of the wild mushrooms and cook until smaller and changing color, about 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper, then push these to the edges of the pot.  Add the other half of the olive oil and the wild mushrooms and cook 3-5 minutes.  Add the cremini or button mushrooms and cook another minute.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Stir in the tomato paste and cook 2 minutes.  Stir thoroughly, ensuring nothing is stuck to the bottom of the pot.  Stir in the wine and cook 2 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, 1 cup water, the bay leaves, coriander, fennel, red pepper flakes, thyme, and more salt & pepper to taste.  Simmer over medium heat for about 30 minutes until sauce is thick and bubbly.  Add more water as needed to keep it from drying out.

Boil a large pot of salted water.  When the water's at a rolling boil, gently drop the gnocchi in.  Once they begin to float, remove them with a slotted spoon.  Add to the ragu and stir gently.

Serve garnished with a dollop of mascarpone and/or fresh mint.