I resisted the urge to buy ready-made gnocchi and it is definitely a much simpler process than I expected. They are very soft, fluffy and paired with the creamy sauce and hit of sour from the tomatoes they make a very balanced dish.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients for 2 servings

  • 300g potatoes, peeled
  • 160g flour
  • 40g olive oil
  • 300g oyster mushrooms
  • 10 medium size tomatoes
  • 40g cashew nuts, soaked
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 10g chopped parsley

Steps

  1. Boil the potatoes in salted water until soft, about 20 minutes. Drain and let them cool down a bit. Grate them finely or pass through a ricer. Add the flour and 20g of olive oil, pinch of salt and mix well. Knead the dough for 90 seconds or so, it should be soft and not sticky. If it is too sticky, add a bit more flour. Do not over-knead it, otherwise the gnocchi will be tough.
  2. Divide the dough into 2 parts and roll each into a long tube, about 1.5cm in diameter. Cut the tube into 2cm pieces and roll each piece over a fork to create the gnocchi shape. Set aside. You can adjust the size of the gnocchi to your liking.
  3. In a large pan, heat some olive oil and add the oyster mushrooms. Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes until they are golden brown.
  4. In another pan, heat the remaining olive oil and add chopped garlic. Cook for a minute until slightly browned. Add in the halved tomatoes and cook stirring occasionally, gently, for about 10 minutes until they blister and soften.
  5. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi and cook until they float to the surface, about 2-3 minutes.
  6. In a blender, add the soaked cashews and a splash of water. Blend until smooth and creamy, adding more water if needed to achieve a sauce-like consistency. Add to the pan with the tomatoes and stir well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Add the gnocchi including some of the cooking water and mushrooms to the sauce. Gently mix everything together. Cook for another minute to heat through, adding more water if needed to loosen the sauce.
  8. Serve hot, garnished with chopped parsley.