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Gnocchi with Shiitakes, Kale & Parmigiano

Gnocchi is one of my favorite things to eat and it is surprisingly easy to make by hand. The only thing that takes a long time is baking the potatoes. I like to bake them ahead of time to have on hand for later that evening or the following day. 

 

For gnocchi: Bake 2 medium sized russet potatoes in foil for about an hour at 400F. Once cool, remove potato flesh from skins and place in large bowl. Using the tines of a fork, finely mash potatoes. Add about 2 tsp salt, 2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper and 1 Tbsp ground nutmeg. In a small bowl, beat one egg. Add to potato bowl and incorporate. Add 3/4-1 c all-purpose flour and gently incorporate using your hands until dough comes together. Dough should remain fluffy/pillowy. Turn dough onto flat surface & separate into quarters. Roll dough into long rolls about one inch in diameter. Working from one end to the other, chop 1/2" pieces to form individual gnocchi. (It's optional to roll each dumpling over the tines of a fork to create decorative ridges.) Scatter gnocchi evenly on baking sheet until ready to cook.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (for the gnocchi). Chop one onion and add to a second large pot with 2 Tbsp olive oil. Cook onions, covered, on low heat for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, slice about 2 1/2 c shiitake mushrooms, de-stem & chop 3 large leaves of kale, and mince 3 cloves of garlic. Once onions have slightly caramelized, add mushrooms & garlic. Turn up heat to medium-high. Cook with lid off, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms cook down a bit. Add kale to pot. Deglaze with a splash of sherry. Add salt to taste, a dash of champagne vinegar and about 1/4 c pinenuts. Remove from heat. Once pot of water is ready, add gnocchi (in 2-3 batches) to water. Gnocchi will float to surface of water when done cooking, so using a slotted spoon, gradually remove gnocchi from water and spoon directly into vegetable pot. Repeat until all gnocchi is cooked. Toss gnocchi with mushroom mixture & add a generous drizzle of olive oil. Serve with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano.