Potato Gnocchi and Mushrooms in Gorgonzola Sauce

I posted this dish about a week or so ago...right before my vacation. My friend, Claire made this recipe for lunch one day, and I fell in love. I needed a vegetarian meal for this week, so I thought I would try my hand at this dish tonight. My husband is not a Gorgonzola fan, but I hope he comes around. The blue cheese flavor isn't overpowering, it is just a nice undercurrent. It almost tastes as if wine is added; but as you can see by the ingredients list, there isn't any wine present. The melted Gorgonzola/blue cheese sauce just adds a little complexity that kinda tastes like wine. In my mind, that is never a bad thing.

The only change I am making is that I am adding some toasted walnuts for garnish. I love the crunch and flavor of toasted walnuts with Gorgonzola, so I am confident that it will pair nicely. I think we will just have a side salad with some homemade dressing to go with this meal. I just hope my family loves this recipe as much as I do. Keep your fingers crossed for me!


Potato Gnocchi and Mushrooms in Gorgonzola Sauce

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
12 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 pound frozen potato gnocchi
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup milk
3 ounces Gorgonzola or other blue cheese, cut into small dice
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
1/4 tsp salt
Generous seasoning of freshly ground black pepper
Toasted walnuts for garnish (optional)

Directions:
Bring a large stockpot of water to boil. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and saute until they render their juices, then reabsorb them and begin to get dry, about 10 minutes. Stir often.

Drop the gnocchi into the boiling water and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic to the mushrooms and cook 2 minutes, tossing frequently. Pour in the milk and bring to a boil. Stir in the blue cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper and toss.

Drain the gnocchi and add it to the skillet. Toss 1 minute, or just until the cheese melts. Garnish with toasted walnuts (optional). Serve immediately.



The Result:
The boy and I LOVED this dish. The husband...not so much. I was arrogant to think I was going to change his mind. I mean, he really dislikes blue cheese of any kind...I am talking dislikes with a passion. I give him credit, he gave it a shot. He ate about 1/4 of his dinner before proclaiming it was not for him. I am glad that he gave it a chance. On the other side of the spectrum, my son cleaned his plate (and so did his mother). Cleaned plate!!!!! Those of you with (or have had) a three year old know how rare that feat truly is! I was a happy mommy.
I liked the addition of the walnuts, too. I think I will keep them in the recipe, if I have them on hand. Either way, this dish is delicious. I will still make this dinner occasionally, but I need to have another sauce ready to go for the hubby.