Creamy Truffle Gnocchi with Mushrooms (30 Minutes)
My creamy truffled mixed mushroom gnocchi is the perfect easy, elevated meal. It’s made with soft, pillowy potato gnocchi, which sops up the sauce. Truffle and mushrooms are one of my favorite flavor combinations; this dish uses truffle butter so that you don’t get any of that artificial truffle flavor. A vegetarian pasta dinnerthat’s quick to make, but elegant enough to make a weeknight dinner feel special!
Truffle and mushrooms are one of the great Italian flavor combinations and this recipe lets both shine without overcomplicating things. I developed this as my answer to the question of what to cook on a date night when I want something that feels genuinely special but does not require an hour in the kitchen. The key ingredient is truffle butter with real truffle flakes; not truffle oil, which can taste synthetic and sharp, but actual truffle butter that melts into the sauce and gives you that deep, earthy, unmistakably luxurious flavor. If you love gnocchi, you will also want to try my Risotto al Limone, Cacio e Pepe Risotto, and Tagliatelle al Limone.
Ingredients
The truffle butter is the most important ingredient in this recipe and it is worth going out of your way for the real thing; look for a brand with actual truffle flakes listed in the ingredients rather than just truffle flavoring or truffle oil. The difference in flavor is significant. For the mushrooms, use a mix if you can find one; cremini, shiitake, and oyster together give you a range of textures and a deeper, more complex mushroom flavor than a single variety. Keep them whole or in large pieces rather than chopping; whole mushrooms have more presence in the dish and hold their texture better in the sauce. And do not skip the step of turning the heat down before the cream goes in; high heat is what causes cream sauces to break and turn grainy. Low and slow is the only way.
Step by Step Instructions
- Cook the gnocchi in generously salted boiling water until they float, about 2-3 minutes. Remove with a spider or slotted spoon, set aside, and reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water. Start cooking aromatics.
2. Melt 1 tablespoon of truffle butter with the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the mushrooms in a single layer, and cook for 5 minutes until tender and golden. Add the remaining truffle butter and stir to coat.
3. Reduce the heat to low, add the heavy cream, and cook for 3-5 minutes stirring frequently until the sauce thickens and just begins to bubble.
4. Add the gnocchi and toss to coat, adding a splash of pasta water if needed. Remove from heat, stir in the Parmigiano until glossy, and serve immediately with crusty bread and white wine.
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to see it! Tag @alliehagerty on Instagram and leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review below!
Creamy Truffle Gnocchi with Mushrooms (30 Minutes)
Equipment
- stockpot
- non-stick pan
- measuring spoons
- cutting board
- wooden spoon
- stainless steel spider
Ingredients
- 1 pound gnocchi
- 1 shallot, minced
- 8 ounces mushrooms my favorite is the gourmet mix
- 6 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon thyme, stems removed fresh is best, but dry works too!
- 6 tablespoons truffle butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, bring generously salted water to a boil. Cook your gnocchi according to the package's instructions while you make the sauce. Do not worry if your gnocchi is done before the sauce, simply drain and set aside:
- In a non-stick pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 3 tbsp truffle butter over medium heat until glistening and butter has melted.
- Add the minced shallot and 1 tbsp thyme to the pan, and mix with a wooden spoon.
- Continue to cook on medium heat for about 3 minutes or until the shallot is fragrant.
- Add 8 oz mushroom mix (I don't chop the mushrooms at all, I keep them whole), to your pan. Now is when you will also add the remaining 3 tbsp truffle butter. Make sure the mushrooms are not over-crowded and let them cook for about a minute before mixing. Add a pinch of freshly ground pepper – about 1/2 tsp, and 1/4 tsp of kosher salt. Continue to cook the mushrooms for about 5 minutes or until they are cooked through and tender.
- Turn the heat down to low (this is very important, otherwise your sauce will break). Add 6 tbsp heavy cream and stir to combine. Cook the sauce for 3-5 minutes longer, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened (it will bubble, too! that's a good sign).
- Using a stainless steel spider or a slotted spoon (you can also drain the gnocchi but I prefer moving them directly into the pan this way), add your cooked gnocchi to the pan. Fold the gnocchi to coat them in the sauce. Serve immediately. Top with cheese, if desired.
Notes
- Use truffle butter with real truffle flakes. Check the ingredients label; you want to see actual truffle listed, not just truffle flavoring or truffle oil. The flavor difference is significant and it is the ingredient that makes this dish taste genuinely luxurious rather than artificial.
- Turn the heat down before the cream goes in. This is the most important technique in the recipe. High heat causes cream sauces to break and turn grainy. Low heat gives you a silky, glossy sauce that stays cohesive all the way to the bowl.
- Keep the mushrooms whole or in large pieces. Whole mushrooms have more presence in the dish and hold their texture better in the sauce. Chopped mushrooms disappear and you lose the meatiness that makes this dish satisfying.
- Move the gnocchi directly from the pot to the pan. Use a spider or slotted spoon rather than draining; the gnocchi brings a little pasta water with it which helps the sauce cling and keeps everything silky.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently over very low heat with a splash of cream or water to loosen the sauce. Do not microwave or the sauce will break.
Omg, this was so good and so simple.
I quartered my mushrooms (crimini). Used truffle gnocchi and then just regular butter. Didn’t have quite that much cream, but added about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. I think I only had about 4 tbsp of butter too.
Hi Sharon! Thank you so much for the kind note! Glad to know you enjoyed this mushroom gnocchi as much as I do!
Hubby made this for us this week with oyster mushrooms, delish! We searched a bit for truffle butter and finally found it at Whole Foods, it was worth the hunt. He added his own flair with lots of fresh thyme and some grated Asiago, really easy and a new meatless Monday for our family with a green salad and some crusty rolls. More please!
This is such an amazing and easy recipe. It takes very little time and tastes like you went to a great restaurant. I’ll definitely be making this regularly.
I made this for my husband (who isn’t normally a big truffle fan) and I last week for dinner and it was awesome! I like that there weren’t too many ingredients involved in this truffle gnocchi with mushroom recipe, and that it was fairly easy to make!
Will definitely make again- delicious !!!
This dish was delicious! It was so quick to make and mushrooms were cooked perfectly. I’ll definitely make this again!
This was SO easy to make and absolutely delicious!!! Will definitely make again!