Gnocchi with Browned Butter, Mushrooms and Flageolet Beans from Eat Live Run

Mushroom Channel Editor’s Note: Jenna from Eat Live Run has been contributing to the Mushroom Channel since its inception. Earlier this week she made a very exciting announcement- she got a book deal!!! So read ahead , make this delicious gnocchi recipe of any of Jenna’s other contributions- we’ll be able to say “we read her when.” Congratulations, Jenna!

One of the wonderful things about living in Northern California is the abundance of farm stands with the freshest possible produce.

Since moving here last month, I have made it my mission to hit every farm stand that I see on the side of the road and this recipe came to fruition after spotting a huge sack of potatoes for only one dollar.

I’ve always wanted to make my own gnocchi and what better to top these little potato pillows with than rich, meaty mushrooms? The flageolet beans add some chew and protein to the dish and I recommend buying them dry and soaking/cooking them the old fashioned way. Beans from scratch just taste way better than from a can. Trust me on this. This dish, although seemingly time consuming, is actually quite simple to prepare and is quintessentially autumn.

Gnocchi with Browned Butter, Mushrooms and Flageolet Beans

Serves 4

16 oz prepared gnocchi, either homemade or storebought (homemade is preferable)
8 oz assorted mushrooms, sliced
1 cup flageolet beans, either canned or cooked from scratch
2 tbsp butter
sea salt and black pepper to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a cast iron or regular skillet, melt the butter on medium heat. Cook, stirring continuously, until the butter has turned a golden brown color. Remove pan from heat immediately when butter has began to brown because over browning the butter will lead to a strong bitter flavor.

2. Add the sliced mushrooms to the browned butter and toss to coat completely. Sprinkle mushrooms with a tiny pinch of sea salt. Place pan back on stove over medium low heat and cook until mushrooms have softened, about five minutes.

3. While the mushrooms cook, cook the gnocchi in simmering water, being careful to not overcook. When done, the gnocchi should float like little pillows. Immediately drain and drizzle with olive oil so the gnocchi don’t stick together.

4. Add the beans to the mushrooms and toss over the heat so the beans heat up. Scoop out a portion of gnocchi on each plate and top with the mushroom bean mixture. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on each serving as well as an extra drizzle of olive oil.

Tags: beans, Eat Live Run, Gnocchi, Homemade Gnocchi recipe, Jenna Weber, Mushrooms, white button mushrooms

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 12th, 2009 at 6:37 pm and is filed under Dinner Tonight, Featured Contributor. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.