chris and i splurged on morel mushrooms the other nite since we spotted them on super sale. they normally sell for $40 + a pound, but we nabbed 'em for $14.99/lb. back in the day, we would go hunting for morels all the time when we were in school at SIUE. the woods were right across from the art department so we would just zip across the road and go foraging and see if we could find these discreet woodland treasures. we bought less then a pound and it was still enough to make this tasty dish. i saw this recipe about a year ago and then promptly forgot it until we saw 'em at wholeee the other nite.
MOREL ASPARAGUS GNOCCHI
2 T olive oil 2-9oz packages fresh gnocchi 3-5 fresh morels, halved (sub any wild mushroom) 1-bundle of asparagus washed and dried-cut into 1" sections...removing about 2" at the bottom and discard the tough ends. 1 roasted red pepper or about a 1/4 cup 1 can water packed artichoke hearts, sliced 1/8 tsp salt, plus more for seasoning black pepper
slice morels into manageable pieces. heat pan and saute morels with a couple teaspoons of olive oil. set aside. add asparagus, roasted pepper, and artichoke hearts to the pan, add another small splash of olive oil if you wish. Add 1/8 tsp salt to season. saute for 2-3 minutes until tender, remove from pan and set aside. while the pan is still hot, add the raw gnocchi and enough oil to coat well. cook for 3 or 4 minutes until golden on all sides and a bit puffy. once cooked through, add the asparagus, artichokes, and peppers back to the pan and toss together. add salt and pepper to taste. add the cooked morel mushrooms to the top before serving.
after making this recipe i would really love to learn how to make homemade gnocchi....especially sweet potato gnocchi. i'll share the recipe if it turns out yummy!!
i adapted this recipe from veganyumyum's site.
P.S.--i have been known to trade jewelry for freshly picked morels if anyone out there might be so inclined come spring =) contact me if your interested
info (at) jaimejofisher (dot) com