Shiitake and Crispy Sage Gnocchi

I had a box of shiitake sitting in the fridge. I like shiitake - they hold less water than other mushroom types and have a meatier texture and lovely, smokey flavour. So when I was brainstorming what to do with them and came across a mixed mushroom gnocchi recipe from Sydney Markets, I decided to swap the mixed mushrooms for shiitake and to make shiitake gnocchi instead. What a lovely dish it turned out to be. 

Ingredients (serves 2):
300g gnocchi
300g shiitake mushrooms, halved
1 medium size onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Sprinkle of chili flakes
20 sage leaves
100mL white wine (*substitute chicken stock if you don’t use alcohol)
grated parmesan
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:
1. Prepare the gnocchi according to the instructions on the package and set aside.

2. Heat one tablespoon olive oil and one tablespoon butter in a large skillet and add the sage leaves. Fry until crispy. When done, remove the leaves from the oil and set aside on a paper towel.

3. In the same pan, add another tablespoon olive oil and the onion. Sauté for a 3-4 minutes until the onion is tender, then add the mushrooms, garlic and chili flakes. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, tossing frequently, until the mushrooms are hot.

4. Add the wine and cook until evaporated.

5. Add the gnocchi to the pan and mix with the mushrooms. Grate some parmesan cheese over and stir through, then season with the lemon juice and freshly ground black pepper.

6. To serve, divide over two plates and top with some grated parmesan cheese and the sage leaves.