These Creamy Mushroom Gnocchi come together in less than 30 minutes, pack a ton of flavor, and they're extra delicious! If you're looking for a quick weeknight dinner that's easy to make or a fuss-free date night meal, give this dish a try!
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Why This Recipe Works
Creamy and rich - The sauce is made with soft goat cheese instead of heavy cream which gives it a different flavor and makes it more even richer and creamier. The delicious sauce, mushroom, and pillowy gnocchi make the perfect comfort food. The recipe also calls for pecorino cheese which has a stronger, saltier flavor than parmesan cheese and it's also traditionally made with either sheep or goat cheese.
Easy to make - There are no complicated steps in this recipe and the whole meal comes together in just about 30 minutes. You'll need a large pot to cook the gnocchi and a large skillet to cook the mushrooms and toss everything together.
Versatile - You serve this gnocchi with a side of protein for a more filling meal or to stretch it into more portions. I like serving it with roasted chicken or salmon. You can also add some pesto into the screamy sauce for some freshness and color.
Always a hit - Whether you're looking for a date night dinner or something the whole family will enjoy, you can't miss with this gnocchi dish!
Ingredients
- Gnocchi - You can use any gnocchi you prefer. I like regular refrigerated potato gnocchi but gluten-free gnocchi, cauliflower, or sweet potato gnocchi also work.
- Mushroom - Brown cremini mushrooms or button mushrooms are always my go-to but any small mushrooms you have work great. Oyster mushrooms or porcini mushrooms are also delicious.
- Soft goat cheese - The sauce is made with soft goat cheese (chevre) instead of the typical heavy cream. I tend to stay away from cow's milk and I prefer the flavor of goat cheese but you can use either or.
- Onion and garlic - Sauteed red onion and garlic give the dish a ton of flavor. Yellow onion or shallots also work great.
- Dried herbs - You'll need oregano, thyme, and marjoram. I used dried herbs because they're much easier to get all year round but you can also use fresh if you have them. Keep in mind you'll have to double the amounts because dried herbs are much more concentrated.
- Cooking oil - My go-to is always 100% avocado oil but you can use any cooking oil you have on hand.
- Garnish - This is optional but I highly recommend topping the finished gnocchi with toasted pine nuts, fresh herbs (chives or parsley), a squeeze of lemon, and ground sumac if you have it. Sumac is a ground, dried dark red berry. It's a popular spice in Middle Eastern cooking and has a slightly tangy flavor that goes really well with the creamy sauce and adds umami depth to the dish.
Variations and Substitutions
- Gluten-free or cauliflower gnocchi - You can use homemade gnocchi or store-bought. Gluten-free, cauliflower, or even sweet potato gnocchi all work in this recipe.
- Heavy cream - If you don't want to use goat cheese, you can use heavy cream instead. Keep in mind it has a much looser consistency so you'll need less of the cooking water.
- Sage - This gnocchi would also be delicious garnished with fresh sage fried in butter. Just melt butter over medium-high heat, add sage leaves, and cook for a minute or two until golden and crispy.
- Add greens - You can toss some baby spinach or chopped kale into the sauce and allow it to wilt down before you add the gnocchi.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Heat a large pan over medium-high heat.
- Add avocado oil and chopped red onion. Cook for about 5 minutes until translucent.
- Add garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add mushroom and a little more cooking oil if needed.
- Season with sea salt, dried oregano, thyme, and marjoram.
- Cook the mushroom for 15-18 minutes stirring every few minutes. They start to release water after 3-5 minutes which helps them from sticking to the pan.
- At the end, add soft goat cheese and stir it in allowing it to melt. Lower the heat to low so it doesn’t burn. Add a splash of water to deglaze the pan if needed.
- While the mushrooms are cooking, boil your gnocchi in a large pot of salted water according to package instructions. Most will take 2-3 minutes to cook.
- Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water and strain the gnocchi.
- Add the gnocchi with ½ cup of the cooking water to the mushroom sauce.
- Gently toss everything together and season with black pepper, and sumac, and add fresh chives, and a squeeze of lemon.
- Toss again and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
- Serve garnished with toasted pine nuts, sumac, a lemon wedge, and more chives.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve the gnocchi on their own, with a side of a small salad like this Greek Beet Salad, or a protein of choice. Roasted chicken or salmon would be perfect here.
If you're a wine drinker, try it with some dry white wine or if you're like me and love a good cocktail, give this Campari Margarita a try!
Storing and Reheating
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. When the gnocchi get cold in the fridge, they'll become really tough but once you reheat them, they'll soften again.
I recommend reheating them in a skillet or a saucepan on the stove over medium heat with a splash of water until warmed through.
FAQs
I don't recommend it, they're best enjoyed fresh.
You can make the sauce with coconut cream instead of goat cheese if you want to keep it dairy-free. Keep in mind it will have a slight coconut flavor.
Similar Pasta Recipes
You can find two more gnocchi recipes below but there are also lots of creamy pasta recipes to choose from similar to these gnocchis! Some are vegan-friendly, some have fish and seafood - a little bit of everything for everyone to choose from. Head over to Pasta Recipes to see all the latest ones!
- Creamy Pesto Gnocchi
- Sheet Pan Asparagus Gnocchi
- Creamy Tomato Shrimp Pasta
- Creamy Broccoli Pasta
- Creme Fraiche Salmon Pasta
📖 Recipe
Creamy Mushroom Gnocchi
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2-3 1x
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These Creamy Mushroom Gnocchi are creamy, garlicky, herby, and so easy to make! Ready on the table in less than 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp avocado oil (or other cooking oil, more as needed)
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 3-4 cloves of garlic, sliced or chopped
- 200g cremini mushroom, cleaned and sliced
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried marjoram
- 100g soft goat cheese (or heavy cream)
- 350g potato gnocchi
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp ground sumac (optional)
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives (optional, more for serving)
- Squeeze of lemon (plus more for serving)
- For serving: 2 tablespoon toasted pine nuts, 2 lemon wedges, fresh chives
Instructions
- Heat a large pan over medium-high heat.
- Add avocado oil and chopped red onion. Cook for about 5 minutes until translucent.
- Add garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add mushroom and a little more cooking oil if needed.
- Season with sea salt, dried oregano, thyme, and marjoram.
- Cook the mushroom for 15-18 minutes stirring every few minutes. They start to release water after 3-5 minutes which helps them from sticking to the pan.
- At the end, add soft goat cheese and stir it in allowing it to melt. Lower the heat to low so it doesn’t burn. Add a splash of water to deglaze the pan if needed.
- While the mushrooms are cooking, boil your gnocchi in salted water according to package instructions. Most will take 2-4 minutes.
- Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water and strain the gnocchi.
- Add the gnocchi with ½ cup of the cooking water to the mushroom sauce.
- Gently toss everything together and season with black pepper, and sumac, and add fresh chives, and a squeeze of lemon. Toss again and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
- Serve garnished with toasted pine nuts, a lemon wedge, and more chives.
Notes
Storing: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Reheating: Reheat the gnocchi in a pan or a small pot with a good splash of water until warmed through and soft.
Marta
I absolutely love the use of goat cheese and sumac in this creamy mushroom gnocchi recipe. I can't wait to make it for my family tomorrow night.
Gloria
Homemade pasta is the best. Gnocchi is super easy to make. I love the combination of pasta and mushrooms.
Bernice
This mushroom gnocchi looks incredible! It's the kind of comfort food dish that I crave on a cold winter night. Saving this recipe to make for sure!
Loreto and Nicoletta
Gnocchi with a mushroom sauce is absolutely exquisite. Love that you used goat cheese for the creaminess and a nice punch from the Pecorino. The toasted pine nuts are a wonderful texture changer for a brilliant finish! Well done!
Elaine
I made this last night and it was so flavorful! The creamy sauce perfectly coats the tender gnocchi, and the mushrooms add a lovely earthy flavor.
Tammy
Such a comforting dish and really perfect for those still chillier spring days. I love gnocchi...the creamy sauce hits the spot here!
Carrie Robinson
Mushrooms + gnocchi = the perfect comfort food dish! :) I can't wait to add this to my family's weekly dinner plan soon- yum!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan
My son loves mushrooms and has me looking for different recipes using them. I made this over the weekend and loved the flavors. The goat cheese added a beautiful creaminess to the recipe.
Moop Brown
I’ve been trying to incorporate more mushrooms into my meat free recipes lately and this recipes seems to use mushrooms in a similar tasty and flavorful way.