Tender gnocchi with a ground lamb ragu, mushrooms, fava beans, herbs, and pecorino cheese is a summer recipe perfect for when you need to feed a crowd.
If you don’t have fava beans, chanterelles or gnocchi, you can switch out one (or all) of them for something else. I’ll list some examples below.
Ready to serve with cheese on the side.
Gnocchi
It’s fine to use pre-prepared gnocchi from the store. If you don’t want to use gnocchi, or they’re unavailable, you can use pasta like gnochetti or penne. If you want, you can also make my gnocchi recipe.
Chanterelle Mushrooms
Chanterelle mushrooms are delicious with fava beans, but if they’re unavailable it’s fine to use sliced or quartered shiitakes. Black trumpet mushrooms are excellent too.
Fava beans are delicious, but sometimes hard to find. If you don’t have access to them you could use frozen peas or diced zucchini.
Fava beans removed from their pods.
After blanching and shucking.
Chef Alan Bergo, The Forager Chef
This recipe is by James Beard award-winning Chef Alan Bergo, the Forager Chef and author of The Forager Chef’s Book of Flora, Learn more about Chef Alan and his hunt for mushrooms, wild and obscure foods at foragerchef.com.
How to make it
Once you have everything the dish is easy to make. Cook some mushrooms and ground lamb and make a light lamb ragu, add the gnocchi, toss to combine, double check the seasoning to make sure it tastes good, and serve.
Cooking chanterelles.
Cooking ground lamb.
Fresh savory adds a nice flavor.
Mixing in blanched fava beans.
Finishing the dish.
Ready to serve with cheese on the side.
I use pecorino cheese as it’s made from sheep milk but you can use parmesan too.
Tender gnocchi and a light lamb ragu with mushrooms, and fava beans. Serves 6 as an appetizer or 2-4 as an entrée
Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword Chanterelle mushrooms, Fava beans, Gnocchi, gnocchi with lamb
Prep Time 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Total Time 50 minutesminutes
Servings 4
Calories 565kcal
Equipment
1 large pasta pot
1 large saute pan
Ingredients
8ozgnocchiuncooked
8ozchanterelles
1cupwater
2teaspoonsoil
1tablespoonchopped summer savory or fresh thyme
1lbground lambor goat
2tablespoonsbutter
¼cupgrated pecorino cheese
3ozfinely diced shallot
1large clove garlic
¼cupdry white wine
1cuplamb or vegetable stock, or water in a pinch
1tablespoonground dried chanterellesoptional
3.5ozheaping half cup fava beansAfter blanching and removing from their inner shell
Lemon zestto taste
Instructions
Fava beans
Remove the fava beans from their pods, then blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds and remove to a bowl to cool. Slip each bean from their skin and reserve. Discard the skin.
Chanterelles
In an 10 inch pan, bring the chanterelles to a simmer with the water and a pinch of salt over medium high heat. Cook until the chanterelles are wilted and have given up their juice. Add a pinch of salt. When the pan is nearly dry, add the oil and cook for a few minutes more. Remove the chanterelles and reserve.
Goat
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large pan. Sweat the garlic and shallot for 1 minute. Use the same pan you used to cook the lamb.
Add the ground lamb and break it up with a spoon. When the meat is cooked, add the wine and reduce by half. Add the stock and simmer, then add the fava beans and chanterelles, mushroom powder and savory.
Finishing and serving
Reduce the mixture by half, seasoning with a pinch of salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low. Finally add the butter and stir to thicken the sauce.
Cook the gnocchi in at least 3 quarts of boiling, salted water until they float.
Add the cooked gnocchi and toss to combine. Add the lemon zest. Double check the seasoning for salt, pepper and herbs, adjust until it tastes good to you and serve with parmesan on the side.
Notes
I make my own gnocchi and it's great if you do too, but, in a pinch, store-bought gnocchi will be fine. Serve with a dry white wine or a mellow red wine like Beaujolais.