This is a simple and delicious dish from northern part of Italy, Alto Adighe, Sudtirol. It is easy to make.

The best is to use fresh ingredients, but if you are short of time, or if you don’t have patience to clean all those fresh spinach leafs, using frozen spinach is just fine.

Alto Adige , very mountainous , and full of forests has a soil that is good for growing mushrooms, particularly Porcini mushrooms, which are often used in recipes. If you can’t find them fresh, use dry ones, or substitute them for bottom mushrooms like I did in this recipe.

The rich taste in this dish comes from the sauce.

gnocchi

• 350g potatoes (2 potatoes), peeled
• 300g fresh spinach(coarse stems discarded), or 180g frozen
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 110g flour

sauce

• 180g mushrooms
• 30g tablespoon of butter
• 150ml chicken stock
• 200ml double cream

Wash the spinach and drain well. Blanch for 30sec than refresh in cold water.

Drain and squeeze the water out and finely chop.

Cut the potatoes in half and place them in a saucepan. Cover them with cold water.

Bring water to boil, than lower the heat and simmer until potatoes are tender.

Drain the potatoes. Return them to pan and dry them on the low heat. Take them out and cool.

Press the potatoes through the riser into a big bowl.

Add the egg yolk and the spinach. Work with your hand until lightly incorporated; keep adding flour until the dough is slightly sticky.

Lightly flour a work surface. Divide dough in fourth.

Roll each part in a rope approximately 1.5cm / 1/2 in thick. Using a knife cut each piece into a 2.5cm /  1in size.

You can use a fork or a gnocchi board to get creative ridges.

Bring a big pot of salted water to boil. Put the gnocchi in the water in batches. Cook until they rise to the surface about 5 min.

Drain them in a colander. Toss a little oil so they don’t stick.

To make a sauce, wipe the mushrooms with a wet cloth or wet kitchen paper. Chop them. Melt the butter over medium heat then add the mushrooms to it and cook until soft.

In a pot add double cream and chicken stock. Bring to boil then lower heat and simmer until sauce thickens.

Put the mushrooms into the sauce and serve over the gnocchi.