Potato gnocchi with dried porcini mushrooms: a simple and tasty recipe

By Bottega del Fungo
3 min read
gnocchi di patate con funghi porcini

When the potato harvest ends and the first cooler days arrive, traditional dishes return to the kitchen.
Among these are undoubtedly homemade potato gnocchi, soft and genuine.

In this recipe, we prepare them with a sausage and dried porcini mushroom sauce, a flavorful combination that evokes the aromas of the woods of the Parma Apennines.

Dried porcini mushrooms, once rehydrated, release an intense aroma and are perfect for seasoning fresh pasta and gnocchi.

It's a substantial yet truly satisfying dish, ideal for a family lunch or an autumn dinner accompanied by a good bottle of red wine.

Ingredients for 4 people

For the gnocchi

  • 900 g of yellow-fleshed potatoes
  • 300 g of type 00 flour
  • 1 egg
  • nutmeg - salt

For the porcini sauce

  • 40 g of dried porcini mushrooms
  • 1 large salami or sausage
  • 300 g of peeled tomatoes
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • chopped parsley - butter
  • 100 g of grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Preparation of potato gnocchi

Boil the potatoes with their skins in salted water.
When cooked, peel them while still hot and pass them through a potato ricer.

Arrange the mashed potatoes on a pastry board and add:

  • the flour
  • the egg - a pinch of salt
  • a grating of nutmeg.

Knead quickly until you obtain a soft and homogeneous dough.
It's important to work the dough lightly to keep the gnocchi light.

Divide the dough into several portions and form cylinders about one finger thick.

Then cut the gnocchi into pieces about 2–3 cm long.

Roll them over the tines of a fork or a gnocchi board to create the classic shape that holds sauce better.

Arrange the gnocchi on floured trays without overlapping them.

How to prepare the sauce with dried porcini mushrooms

Soak the dried porcini mushrooms in warm water for about 10–15 minutes.

During soaking, move them with your hands so that any dirt residues settle at the bottom.

Repeat the operation a second time, filtering the water with a fine sieve or cheesecloth:
this filtered water is very aromatic and can be added to the sauce.

Cut the mushrooms into small pieces.

In a pan, sauté:

  • the crumbled sausage
  • a knob of butter - the clove of garlic
  • the chopped parsley.

Add the porcini mushrooms and let them sauté for a few minutes.

Then add the strained peeled tomatoes and some of the filtered mushroom water.

Let the sauce cook for about 30 minutes, until you get a thick and fragrant sauce.

Cooking the gnocchi

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.

Add the gnocchi a few at a time.
Cooking is very quick: they are ready when they float to the surface.

Drain them with a slotted spoon and season them directly in a serving bowl with the porcini sauce.

Finish with a generous sprinkle of grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

A dish that smells of the forest

Potato gnocchi with dried porcini mushrooms is a simple but characterful recipe.
The aroma of porcini mushrooms adds depth to the sauce and transforms a homemade dish into a truly special preparation.

If you love cooking with quality ingredients, dried porcini are a valuable pantry staple: just a few grams are enough to add flavor to risottos, sauces, and fresh pasta.

Tip

For an even more intense aroma, use quality dried porcini mushrooms, processed with natural drying.