No. 9 Park's Gnocchi with Peas and Mushrooms

This recipe is one that I cooked hundreds of times while I was on the pasta station at No.9 Park in Boston in the early 2000's . At the time this was a menu staple that never changed. There we made the gnocchi by hand, but at home I typically make it with store-bought gnocchi. It also works well with tubular pasta types like rigatoni or penne. The mushrooms and cream sauce can be made in advance and stored separately until ready to serve. Once you've got those in your fridge, the dish comes together in about as long as it takes to boil some pasta.

For the Cream Sauce:

- 1 pint (about 500ml) heavy cream

- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and gently smashed

1. Combine the cream and garlic in a small saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to very low and cook, stirring every few minutes, until the cream is reduced to about 2/3rds its original volume. Be careful, as it can scald at the bottom of the pan if the heat is too high or you don't stir frequently enough. Strain out the garlic. The reduced cream can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.

For the Roasted Mushrooms:

1 pound (450g) button or cremini mushrooms, washed, trimmed, and quartered
A couple tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
8 to 12 sprigs thyme or rosemary

1. Adjust an oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Toss the mushrooms with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread them out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and scatter the thyme or rosemary sprigs over them. Roast until the mushrooms are browned but still tender. This can vary a lot depending on how well air and moisture circulate in your oven, but around 30 to 45 minutes. Discard thyme or rosemary. The roasted mushrooms can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.

For the Finished Dish:

Salt

1 recipe Cream Sauce

1 recipe Roasted Mushrooms

1 pound dry pasta or 1 1/2 pounds fresh gnocchi

1/2 cup frozen peas

A few tablespoons minced fresh chives

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat the cream sauce and mushrooms together in a large sauté pan. Season to taste with salt. Keep warm.

2. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving some of the pasta water. Add the pasta and frozen peas to the cream sauce and toss until the peas are thawed and the pasta is nicely coated in sauce. If the sauce is too loose, increase the heat and cook, stirring and tossing constantly, until the sauce is creamy and coats the pasta. If the sauce is too tight or breaks and turns greasy, add a few spoonfuls of the reserved pasta water and stir or toss rapidly until it re-emulsifies and turns creamy.

3. Stir in the chives, reserving some for garnish. Transfer to a warmed serving platter and sprinkle with the reserved chives. Serve immediately.

Note: If you want to go extra-decadent, add some chopped lobster or picked crab meat to the pan and toss to combine and warm the lobster or crab through just before adding the chives and serving.