Potato Gnocchi With Wild Mushroom Sugo

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 2 lbs russet potatoes
• coarse salt
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch fresh ground black pepper
• 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting (or use store bought gnocchi - 1 pound fresh or frozen)
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cups mixed wild mushrooms, finely chopped (from about 3/4-pound mushrooms)
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaf
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 1/2 cup tomato puree (from fresh or canned peeled tomato)
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 1/2 cup chicken broth or 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, generous
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
• 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 375 degrees f.
• 2 bake potatoes until very soft on a bed of coarse salt in a baking dish, about 45 minutes. (the salt keeps the potatoes from touching the dish and developing a hard spot.) cool potatoes until warm, then halve lengthwise and scoop out the flesh. pass the flesh through a food mill or ricer, or push it through a coarse sieve. you should have about 4 cups.
• 3 in a bowl, combine potato, egg yolks, parmesan, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. work the mixture with a wooden spoon until smooth. add 1 cup of the flour and knead very gently, patting and pressing the dough with your hands until all the flour is incorporated. add some or all of the additional 1/4 cup flour if the dough feels too moist, it should be soft but shouldn't stick to your hands. transfer dough to a work surface and roll into a log about 3 inches in diameter. cut the log into 8 equal pieces.
• 4 give each piece a quarter-turn so that you are rolling the dough in a different direction, then roll into ropes, a generous 1/2-inch in diameter, as if making breadsticks. flour the ropes generously, and then cut crosswise at 1/2-inch intervals. you can shape the gnocchi on a ridged butter paddle or on the back of a fork, or you can cook them as is. let them dry at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before cooking.
• 5 heat a large saute pan over high heat. when hot, add oil, and then sprinkle in the mushrooms. don't stir! let the mushrooms sizzle and caramelize for 7 to 8 minutes. stir and season with salt and pepper. add garlic and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute to release its fragrance. add the rosemary and shallot and cook for about a minute. cook briefly to release their fragrance, then add tomato and red wine and simmer until almost evaporated. add the broth or water. simmer until slightly reduced, 4 to 5 minutes. season, to taste, with salt and pepper. remove from heat and stir in the butter. sprinkle with the parsley and keep warm.
• 6 bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. add the gnocchi. they are usually done about 2 minutes after they float to the surface, but test 1 to be sure. lift them out with a skimmer and transfer to a large platter. pour the warm sauce over the gnocchi. grate parmesan over the top and serve immediately.