When the awesome people at NoMU asked me if I’d be keen on doing their June Recipe Mailer for them, I jumped at the chance. I’ve made no secret of the fact that I adore NoMU and their wonderful products (their Lamb fond is practically my main source of nutrition) and I loved the idea of designing recipes around their extensive range of goodies. Throughout June I’ll share some of the recipes with you and as we’re having a particularly chilly day in Pretoria today, I thought this comforting Gnocchi with Mushroom ragu would be the perfect recipe to start with.
I absolutely adore gnocchi and with this rich, flavourful mushroom ragu, it gets elevated to new heights. It’s not often that vegetarian recipes are as comforting and indulgent as their meat-lover alternatives but this one ticks all the right boxes. Finish with a generous grating of Parmesan and you have a beautiful winter warmer.
Ingredients
for the gnocchi
- 500 g potatoes
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2-3/4 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon truffle oil
- NoMU smoked salt and pepper to taste
for the mushroom ragu
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 500 g mixed mushrooms of your choice roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon NoMU Spanish rub
- 100 ml red wine
- 300 ml stock I used NoMU beef fond, but Vegetable is also fine
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 tablespoons cream
- NoMU salt & pepper to taste
- fresh Parmesan to serve
Instructions
- To make the Gnocchi, pre-heat the oven to 180°c and place the potatoes on a baking sheet.
- Place in the oven and bake until the potatoes are soft and fluffy on the inside.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- Halve the potatoes and scoop out the flesh and place into a bowl.
- Mash the potatoes and add the egg yolk, truffle oil, seasoning and just enough flour to form a soft, but firm, dough.
- Break tennis ball-sized pieces off the dough and roll into long sausages. Slice your gnocchi into desired lengths and press on them with a fork to create little indents to suck up the sauce.
- Place on a floured tray and set aside until you're ready to cook the gnocchi.
- To make the ragu, melt the butter in a frying pan and fry the mushrooms until golden brown.
- Add the garlic and rub and fry for another 30 seconds then add the wine, stock and thyme.
- Allow the sauce to bubble and reduce for 10 minutes then add the lemon juice, cream and season to taste.
- To cook the gnocchi, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and drop the gnocchi in gently.
- Once they float to the top they're cooked. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and toss them with the mushroom ragu.
- Serve immediately with a generous amount of grated Parmesan.
K, I don’t have a jar at the moment but I would assume it’s mixed herbs, smoked paprika, garlic, lemon, etc. Those flavours will all work with this.
Can you tell me what’s in the NoMu Spanish rub? I can’t seem to find it in the US.
We have been having so many rainy days, this is just the kind of dish that perks me up, so rich and hearty!