Gnocchi with Pine Mushroom Ragu

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the gnocchi

1.5kg Sebago or Russet Burbank potatoes

300g ‘00’ flour

50g finely grated parmesan

10g sea salt

1 egg yolk

Pinch of grated nutmeg

For the Pine Mushroom Ragu

300g pine mushrooms

80g unsalted butter

2 shallots, thinly sliced

4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

2 tbsp marjoram leaves

350ml vegetable or chicken stock, warmed

80g finely grated parmesan

2 tbsp olive oil

To finish

100g pecorino, grated

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to season

Method

For the gnocchi, wash the potatoes and place them in a pan of cold, salted water. Bring to the boil, then simmer until tender (about 40 minutes) and drain. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle (but not cold), peel off the skins and discard. Pass the peeled potatoes through a drum sieve, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to cool completely.

Weigh out 1kg of the potato and mix with the other gnocchi ingredients until you have a smooth dough. Take care not to overwork. Divide the dough into six balls. Working with one ball at a time, roll on a lightly floured surface to form a log 1.5cm wide, then cut into pieces 1.5cm long. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Cook the gnocchi in plenty of salted boiling water until they rise to the surface, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the gnocchi to a bowl of iced water to stop the cooking, then drain and lightly oil them, so they won’t stick together.

Prepare the pine mushrooms only when you are ready to cook, as they oxidise very quickly when cut and exposed to the air. To clean them, use either a brush or a damp cloth to gently remove any dirt; do not be tempted to rinse them with water. Slice the mushrooms into 1 cm thick slices.

You’ll need a very large frying pan for this, or use two, dividing the ingredients evenly between them – it’s vital that you have plenty of room to toss the pasta through the sauce later. 

Place your pan or pans over medium heat and saute the mushrooms in a little olive oil for 2 minutes, until they start to soften. Add the butter and sliced shallots and season with salt. 

Turn the heat down to low and continue cooking for 2 more minutes, then add the garlic and marjoram and cook until the garlic starts to brown. Pour in the stock, stirring to deglaze, then leave to simmer over very low heat while you warm up the gnocchi.

Rewarm the gnocchi in plenty of salted boiling water for 1 minute. Reserve a ladleful of the gnocchi cooking water before draining, then add to the frying pan and toss thoroughly. Add the parmesan and keep tossing until the sauce is very well emulsified. Add some stock or reserved pasta water if it starts getting too dry, then taste for salt.

Serve in warmed bowls and finish with freshly ground pepper and grated pecorino.