gnocchi with mushroom and pancetta sauce
A hearty, warming and richly-flavoured gnocchi.
This is a seriously substantial meal. If you can get fresh wild mushrooms, this will make a huge difference. But don't worry if you can't – it will still be worth all the cooking!
preparation time 20 minutes cooking 25 to 30 minutes serves 4
contains: egg, yeast
2 tablespoons olive oil1 onion, finely chopped2 garlic cloves, crushed12 ounces nitrate-free pancetta, chopped 3½ cups sliced mushroomssea salt and freshly ground black peppergnocchi:1½ pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks3 egg yolks, beaten¾ cup rice flour, plus extra for dustingsea salt and freshly ground black pepperwhite wine sauce:2 tablespoons dairy-free margarine 6 tablespoons gram flour 3 tablespoons rice flour½ cup organic dry white wine6 tablespoons sugar-free soymilk1¼-1¾ cup fresh gluten-, yeast-, and dairy-free Vegetable Stock, or stock made with gluten-, yeast-, and dairy-free bouillon powder1 To make the gnocchi, put the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Place over high heat, bring to a boil, then turn the heat down, cover with a lid, and leave to simmer 15 to 20 minutes until tender. 2 Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottom skillet. Add the onion and cook over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes until starting to turn golden. Stir in the garlic, then add the pancetta and fry 3 to 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3 In a separate heavy-bottomed skillet, make the white wine sauce. Melt the margarine over low heat. Stir in the flours; remove the pan from the heat and gradually stir in the white wine, soymilk, and 3/4 cup vegetable stock, stirring the sauce all the time.
4 Return the pan to the heat and bring to the boil, stirring continuously. The sauce thickens as it gets hotter, and will become lumpy if you stop stirring; if that happens, beat with a whisk until smooth again. Once the sauce boils, turn the heat down and leave to simmer very gently 10 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent it sticking to the pan.
5 When the potatoes are cooked, drain and mash well, then warm over low heat a few minutes. Tip into a large bowl and season lightly with salt and pepper, then beat in the egg yolks and flour, a little at a time, with a wooden spoon to form a smooth, slightly sticky dough.
6 Turn out the dough onto a surface dusted with rice flour and, with floured hands, knead and work it into a ball. Roll out to form into a long sausage about 3/4 inch thick. Cut into 3/4-inch pieces, then use the back of a fork to make grooves across the top of each piece; leave on the floured surface, making sure they do not overlap.
7 Fill a large pan with boiling water and set over medium heat so the water simmers gently. Add one-third of the prepared gnocchi and cook until they rise to the surface. Continue cooking 1 to 2 minutes longer, then remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining gnocchi.
5 Meanwhile, stir in another 1/2 to 1 cup stock to make a smooth sauce that is thick, but still runny. Stir in the pancetta mixture and season lightly with salt and pepper. Pour the hot sauce over the gnocchi and serve.
related ingredients: gram/chickpea flour,
potatoes,
rice flour,
soya milk