Creamy Gnocchi with Wild Mushrooms Recipe
This cozy bowl of creamy gnocchi with wild mushrooms is made entirely plant based, thanks to an herb-cream sauce that uses Silk soymilk. The perfect pasta dish for cold weather months!
This post was sponsored by Silk. All opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make this blog possible!
I mean, will you just look at that creamy bowl of goodness? Gnocchi is my all time favorite pasta, which means gnocchi is one of my all time favorite foods. Every few months, I seem to come up with a seasonal variation that we eat on repeat, and this holiday season, this creamy gnocchi with wild mushrooms is IT. It’s simple and satisfying, a dish you can make in pretty much the amount of time it takes to boil the water for the gnocchi. The gnocchi gets tossed in a creamy, herb-flecked cream sauce that just happens to be plant-based, thanks to America’s No. 1 plant-based beverage brand – Silk®!
Now, as you know if you’ve been following this blog for any length of time, I am definitely not opposed to dairy! But as someone who cares about the planet, I try to look for ways to incorporate more plants without sacrificing taste. Because plant-based foods and beverages often require fewer resources to produce, choosing them more often is a simple way to do right by the planet. Since soy milk is comparable to dairy milk in terms of nutrition, with 5-9 grams of protein per serving and a good source of calcium and vitamin D, it’s a simple swap. I love to keep their vanilla or chocolate flavored soy milk on hand for drinking or making smoothies, as well as a container of original or unsweetened for savory applications, like this gnocchi with wild mushrooms.
Creamy Gnocchi Recipe Ingredients
Gnocchi // Gnocchi is a type of pasta that’s really basically a dumpling, made with flour and potato. I used regular dried store bought gnocchi in this creamy plant-based gnocchi recipe, which cooks in just 2-3 minutes in boiling water.
Shallot // Shallots are in the same family as onions, leeks, garlic and scallion, and look like small light purple onions. I love to use them in cooking sauces, as they have a sweeter, deeper flavor than onions, and have a softer texture that breaks down into sauces. Feel free to use ¼ cup of finely chopped yellow onion if you don’t have any shallots on hand.
Wild Mushrooms // To make this gnocchi recipe, I used store bought, pre-sliced mixed wild mushrooms, which came with oyster, cremini, shiitakes and chanterelles. I often keep a dried wild mushroom blend on hand, which would be great for turning this recipe into a pantry meal.
Sage & Thyme // Sage and thyme are two of my favorite herbs for winter cooking. Since they both have strong flavors, usually you’ll just use a small amount out of a package. I like to keep extras in the freezer, where they keep really well.
White Wine // White wine adds depth of flavor and cuts some of the richness of creambased sauces. Use a crisp, dry white wine to make this recipe, like pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc.
Original Silk Soymilk // Original Silk soy milk is the backbone of the sauce for this creamy plant-based gnocchi recipe. While I love other plant-based beverages, like oat milk, coconut milk and almond milk (all of which Silk makes as well!), soymilk has a nice, neutral flavor and creamy texture that makes it the perfect choice for savory applications.
How to Make This Creamy Gnocchi with Wild Mushrooms Recipe
This creamy gnocchi recipe couldn’t be easier to whip up. It takes less than 30 minutes, even for a slow cook like me! While the water for the gnocchi comes to a boil, start on the sauce by sautéing shallots in butter (plant-based or regular). Olive oil would work perfectly fine too! Once softened and translucent, add the wild mushrooms. Once the mushrooms are lightly golden and tender, add garlic and the herbs and cook a minute until they’re fragrant. I add the garlic and herbs towards the end of sautéing to make sure they don’t burn, as garlic can have an off, bitter flavor if it gets too browned.
Next comes a quick deglaze with a bit of white wine. Deglazing is a cooking technique that uses a bit of liquid to dissolve the browned bits off the bottom of the pan, where yummy, caramelized flavor is stored. Then add a bit of flour and cook for a minute to take off the raw edge before streaming in the soy milk. Cook for a few minutes until the sauce has thickened, then stir in the cooked gnocchi and peas to warm through!
Wild Mushroom Creamy Gnocchi Recipe Adaptions
Feel free to use different vegetables in this recipe. It would also be delicious with spinach, which you could add at the same time as the mushrooms – it just takes much less time to cook. You could also do chopped cauliflower, although you might want to add that before the shallots, since it takes a bit more time to cook and you don’t want the shallots to burn in the meantime.
To boost the protein, add (plant-based or regular) sausage or chicken. If using sausage, a sweet Italian would complement the flavors here. I would cook the sliced sausage or chunks of chicken breast in the skillet first, remove and set aside to make the rest of the recipe, then stir the cooked sausage/chicken back in with the gnocchi and peas.
For a tomato-y version of this creamy gnocchi recipe, add a couple tablespoons of tomato paste in after adding the flour and before stirring in the soy milk. It will infuse the cream sauce with tomatoey flavor!
If you like this creamy gnocchi recipe, follow my vegetarian pasta dishes Pinterest board for more inspiration.
Creamy Gnocchi with Wild Mushrooms Recipe
Serves: Depends on how hungry you are!
Ingredients:
1 lb gnocchi
1 tablespoon plant-based or regular butter
1 large shallot, finely chopped
8 ounces wild mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
¼ cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup Original Silk Soymilk
½ cup frozen peas, defrosted
Microgreens, optional, for garnish
Instructions:
Cook gnocchi according to package instructions. Set aside until ready to use.
Heat butter in a large skillet on medium-high heat. When melted, add shallot and cook until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and cook until lightly golden and tender, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in garlic, sage and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Slowly pour in wine, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom with a wooden spoon or spatula. When wine is almost absorbed, stir in flour and cook about 30-60 seconds, stirring constantly. Slowly stream in soymilk, stirring constantly until the flour is incorporated into the milk. Let cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened a bit. Stir in peas and cooked gnocchi and cook to warm through. Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste, and garnish with microgreens if using.
If you like this creamy gnocchi recipe, you might also like:
Pan-Fried Gnocchi Salad with Chicken Sausage
Creamy Spring Pasta with Oyster Mushrooms and Asparagus
Summer Gnocchi with Basil Brown Butter
