Mushroom gnocchi

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This mushroom gnocchi is a comforting, tasty way to serve store bought or homemade gnocchi with minimal effort. It doesn’t take long to make, is great for making a few gnocchi go further and is packed with earthy flavors. A tasty vegetarian meal that will win over anyone.

mushroom gnocchi in skillet with parsley sprig to side

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Gnocchi have long been a favorite food in our household. They were one of the first foods my elder son could out-eat us on from quite a young age. We started having them a little less for a while when my younger son was less a fan. These days, they still appear relatively often and both boys love helping to make them.

Though we don’t often manage to have any leftover, if we do, I sometimes let them have some as a packed lunch for school. Or occasionally sneak some for myself, as was the case with this dish.

close up of mushroom gnocchi topped with cheese

Since they also eat so many these days, to save me making quite so many I might make them as gnocchi with pork and fennel to stretch them out a bit more.

This recipe is perfect for both leftovers or stretching out what you have. Plus you don’t by any means need to have homemade gnocchi for this. Store bought will work perfectly well.

This dish is really all about the mushrooms, in many ways, which are wonderfully earthy and flavorful. The gnocchi pair wonderfully to give a really comforting, hearty but not too heavy meal. And best of all, it all comes together in no time.

bowls with mushrooms, gnocchi, stock, chopped onions and to bottom garlic, thyme and butter on plate and spoon of parsely

What kind of mushrooms are best?

I used crimini mushrooms (brown) but others would definitely work as well. Different varieties add different flavors and textures and some portobello, shitake and/or chanterelles would all be good in here, as examples.

I’d suggest using at least some crimini or regular white mushrooms as they have a good balance of flavor, texture and moisture level which gives a good base to add to.

Tips for cooking the mushrooms

Mushrooms are not difficult to cook, but there are a couple things to keep in mind. First and most importantly, you don’t want to overcrowd the pan as if you do, they won’t brown and get lightly crispy. At most two layers of mushroom slices, but ideally not all over, is good.

Mushrooms hold a relatively large amount of liquid and as they cook, they release this into the pan. If they don’t have space, this extra liquid won’t evaporate to let you get to the next step where you start to brown them. I often find it’s best to cook part then add the rest, or else use a larger pan than you think you need.

In contrast, when you first start cooking you might be tempted to add a lot of fat as they absorb it all. Don’t, you probably don’t need it. Only add any extra at the end once liquid evaporated to help them brown, if needed.

Once they are lightly browned, add the gnocchi then the stock to make more of a sauce now that you’ve built up all that tasty flavor.

skillet with mushroom gnocchi and some parsley below skillet

These mushroom gnocchi are a delicious combination of earthy mushrooms and comforting gnocchi that are quick and easy to make. They’re a great way to help gnocchi go further as well as make them more interesting, too. A vegetarian meal even hardened carnivores should enjoy.

Try these other tasty vegetarian meals:

Print Recipe

This easy dish is a great way to make gnocchi go further, with lots of tasty, earthy flavor. Quick and comfortable.

Ingredients

4 oz mushrooms 110g, suggest crimini or a mix (see above)
¼ onion
1 clove garlic (small)
4 ½ oz gnocchi 125g, approx (or more to taste/as have)
1 tablespoon butter 14g
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
1 pinch salt
1 pinch pepper
¼ cup vegetable stock 60ml (or chicken stock, but clearly no longer vegetarian if so)
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Instructions

Wipe clean the mushrooms and trim off the end of the stem. Cut into slices, halved if large. Finely chop the onion and crush or finely chop the garlic.
Fill a wide pot with boiling water and add the gnocchi, part at a time if making more than one serving. Increase the heat, if needed, to bring water back to a simmer. Once the gnocchi float to the top, remove from the water, draining as you do so, and set aside in a bowl.
Meanwhile, warm half of the butter in a small-medium skillet/frying pan. Add the onion and cook a couple minutes, stirring regularly, until onion is softened.
Add the rest of the butter and part of the mushrooms. Stir to soften the mushrooms then add the rest once there is a bit more space (they reduce in size as they cook). Add the garlic, oregano and a little salt and pepper.
Cook for a couple minutes until the mushrooms have released their liquid, this evaporates off and the mushrooms start to brown slightly. Add in the cooked gnocchi, stir then add the stock. Simmer for a minute or two to reduce slightly then add the parsley, stir through and serve. Optionally, add some cheese on top.

Ratings

You can easily make larger quantities of this to serve more people – just multiply everything up and use a larger skillet to cook the mushrooms etc. Cook the gnocchi in batches so as not to overcrowd the pot and reduce the temperature too much.

Nutrition

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline’s Cooking Amazon store.

Mushroom gnocchi – Caroline’s Cooking

What kind of mushrooms are best?

Tips for cooking the mushrooms

Try these other tasty vegetarian meals: