Gnocchi ai funghi, or potato gnocchi with mushroom sauce, is a delicious and easy weeknight dinner that gives off weekend vibes. Cool evenings, cozy sweaters and big glasses of crisp white wine pair perfectly with this creamy Italian pasta dish. Pair with a salad… or don’t. It’ll be a hit either way.
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Ingredients for 30-Minute Gnocchi Ai Funghi
- Cremini/White Mushrooms
- Dried Porcini Mushrooms: Porcini are a kind of wild mushroom known for being richer, meatier and nuttier than other common mushroom varieties. Dried porcini mushrooms are going to give our mushroom gnocchi a flavor boost.
- Porcini Mushroom Water: The water we use to rehydrate porcini mushrooms is also going to add flavor complexity to this dish.
- Garlic
- Thyme: Thyme is such a versatile herb that it’s one of the fresh staples in my fridge. (Or it was, until I started growing it hydroponically. Now, it sits in my Gardyn.) We’re using this subtle, refreshing herb to compliment the earthiness of the mushrooms.
- White Wine: Just a splash, to deglaze the pan.
- Creme Fraiche: We are using homemade Creme Fraiche in this recipe because it’s thicker and more flavorful than heavy cream and it can withstand higher levels of heat than sour cream (which means distracted little me has less chance of curdling my sauce).
- Gnocchi: While you can make your own gnocchi from potato, egg yolk, and flour, doing so wouldn’t be very weeknight friendly. So, you can purchase it fresh in the cooler case of some grocery stores or in vacuum-sealed packages in the pasta aisle. Many stores also carry gluten-free cauliflower gnocchi.
- Parmesan: Because a cheese sauce is always delicious, amirite?
Tips for Cooking with Gnocchi
Gnocchi done right is beautiful. Pillowy soft yet with a slight chew. Gnocchi done wrong is the opposite. Maybe much worse. Mushy. Gummy. Gross.
And here’s the thing, it took me some time to figure out how to make cooked gnocchi that didn’t disappoint. I’d follow the recipe on the package… and the verdict from The Boys was ‘meh.’ Until, I tried air frying my gnocchi instead of boiling them in salted water and fishing around for them with a slotted spoon. Air frying them with a little olive oil allows them to crisp up on the outside and stay nice and soft on the inside.
And then, while pouring over countless gnocchi recipes while testing this one, I found more and more bloggers that were pan-frying their gnocchi in olive oil to cook them through. It was so similar to my air-fried gnocchi. And that’s when I knew, I’d never go back to boiling them in water.
For this recipe (or any gnocchi recipe, really), I recommend cooking your gnocchi in the air fryer or on the stovetop. I’ve got air fryer directions for gnocchi here.
If you want to saute them (in the same pan you cook you sauce in), here’s what you do:
- Heat 2 tablespoons of non-stick olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat.
- Add gnocchi, separating the ones that are stuck together as you drop them into the pan.
- Cook for approximately 3 minutes, stir and continue cooking, allowing gnocchi to become tender and brown all over. (This will take 6-8 minutes)Remove from pan and set aside until ready to add into sauce.
- Bonus: use the same pan to make your sauce for easier cleanup.
How to Make Gnocchi Ai Funghi
- Microwave a cup of water in a microwave-safe mug for 1 minute. Add porcini mushrooms to rehydrate 10-15 minutes while you prep everything else.
- Cook your gnocchi either in the air fryer or in a large skillet. (If you use the air fryer method, it’s a great way to multi-task in the kitchen.)
- Once cooked, transfer to a bowl and set aside while you make the mushroom cream sauce. Add a glug of olive oil to a large skillet (it can be the same one you fried your gnocchi in).
- Add mushroom slices, salt and pepper. Don’t touch for 2-3 minutes, and after, stir occasionally for an additional 5-8 minutes.
- While the mushrooms are cooking use a fine-meshed colander to strain the porcini mushrooms, reserving ½-¾ cup of the porcini water. Roughly chop porcini and add to mushrooms.
- Reduce heat to medium low and add thyme and garlic.
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine.
- Once most of it has evaporated, add in porcini mushroom water and creme fraiche. At this point the sauce will look too liquidy, but it will thicken with the starches from the gnocchi.
- Add in the gnocchi and the parmesan and give it all a stir to combine. Once the sauce thickens and coats the gnocchi, turn off heat.
- Taste and season with more salt and pepper and serve, garnishing with chives or parsley if you’d like.
Looking for more Weeknight Pasta Inspiration?
Try this Lemon Gnocchi – a fun twist on pasta al limone. You might also like this 30-Minute Sausage and Broccolini Pasta dish. And finallly, when you want something comforting and nostalgic, this One-Pot Taco Pasta hits the spot.
Buon appetito!
📖 Recipe
Gnocchi ai Funghi or Gnocchi in Mushroom Sauce
Ingredients
- 16 oz mix of cremini and white mushrooms wiped clean and sliced
- ⅓ cup dried porcini mushrooms
- 1 cup water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves 3-4 stems
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons white wine
- ½ cup reserved porcini mushroom water
- 1 cup creme fraiche
- 2 lbs gnocchi cooked using either the instructions on the package, using an air fryer or in a frying pan
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- parsley for garnish optional
Instructions
- Microwave a cup of water in a microwave-safe mug for 1 minute. Add porcini mushrooms to rehydrate 10-15 minutes while you prep everything else.
- Cook your gnocchi either in the air fryer or in a large skillet. Once cooked, transfer to a bowl and set aside while you make the mushroom cream sauce.
- Add a glug of olive oil to a large skillet (it can be the same one you fried your gnocchi in). Add mushroom slices, salt and pepper. Don’t touch for 2-3 minutes, and after, stir occasionally for an additional 5-8 minutes.
- While the mushrooms are cooking use a fine-meshed colander to strain the porcini mushrooms, reserving ½-¾ cup of the porcini water. Roughly chop porcini and add to mushrooms. Reduce heat to medium low and add thyme and garlic.
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine.
- Once most of it has evaporated, add in porcini mushroom water and creme fraiche. At this point the sauce will look too liquidy, but it will thicken with the starches from the gnocchi.
- Add in the gnocchi and the parmesan and give it all a stir to combine. Once the sauce thickens and coats the gnocchi, turn off heat. This will take approximately 3 minutes. Taste and season with more salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley (optional) and serve (with more parmesan cheese)!
