The pairing of mushrooms with the fragrant aroma of truffle oil is up there with some of the best flavour combinations I have tasted. Heavenly. I love a good mushroom dish, but throw in some liquid gold in the form of truffle oil, and the dish will immediate elevate to nek-level, taste bud-blowing AH-MAZING. I’ve used truffle oil mushrooms with fresh homemade gnocchi in the past, but decided to mix things up slightly during a recent revisit of this recipe by using a blend of different mushrooms and some store bought pumpkin gnocchi spotted at my local general store (Harry and Larry’s in Footscray, by the way - do check them out for your grocery needs, meals to go, and perhaps one of the most important elements for maintaining my sanity during this isolation period, barista coffee). The mushroom medley was an excellent call; the variety of mushrooms imparted a sensational depth of earthy flavours and textures that were a joy to navigate bite after bite. Not surprisingly, the pumpkin gnocchi had a subtle sweetness that worked beautifully with the flavour profile of the mushrooms. This was my first time seeing pumpkin gnocchi, and I had purchased it out of curiosity more than anything else - normal gnocchi would also work a treat in this recipe (tried and tested!).

PUMPKIN GNOCCHI WITH HERBED AND TRUFFLE OIL MUSHROOM MEDLEY

INGREDIENTS

• 20g butter

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 large field or portabella mushroom + 250g mixed mushrooms, chopped or shredded to desired size

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic (1 clove medium sized clove)

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 teaspoon chilli flakes

• fresh basil leaves (I used approximately 15 leaves)

• 1/3 cup light cream

• 400g store bought pumpkin gnocchi (or other gnocchi), prepared according to packet instructions and pan fried

• Optional: truffle oil

• Extra fresh basil leaves, grated Grana Padano or Parmesan cheese to serve

METHODS

1. Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.

2. Add to the pan the minced garlic, mushrooms, oregano and chilli flakes, and cook until the mushrooms brown and soften, tossing the mushrooms around the pan frequently.

   (Note: the enoki mushrooms cooked much quicker than the larger mushrooms; I removed these from the pan once they browned before returning them to the pan again at step 3)

3. Add the pan fried gnocchi, basil leaves and cream to the mushroom mixture, and thoroughly stir through to combine. Remove from heat.

4. Add a generous splash of truffle oil if using before transferring to serving bowls. To each serving, add a grating of cheese and garnish with fresh basil leaves. Serve immediately.

   Enjoy!