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Home » Specific Diets » Vegetarian

Published: Sep 10, 2022 · Modified: Sep 20, 2022 by Jacqui

Creamy Mushroom Gnocchi with Stracchino (Crescenza).


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Made with store-bought or homemade potato gnocchi and a creamy porcini and button mushroom sauce, this restaurant-worthy vegetarian mushroom gnocchi with stracchino recipe is full of autumnal Northern Italian flavours. It’s easy enough for weeknights but special enough to serve to guests!

Creamy mushroom gnocchi with stracchino crescenza.

Gnocchi, funghi e stracchino.

The three main ingredients of potato gnocchi, mushrooms and stracchino cheese (crescenza) in this recipe are traditional autumn fare here in Northern Italy. And, so, this is a dish you will most likely come across on Italian tables as the hot summer weather gives way to the cooler days of autumn/fall.

Creamy mushroom gnocchi with stracchino crescenza.

A little potato gnocchi history.

Gnocchi are really the Italian version of dumplings and there are many different types. The earliest evidence of Italian dumplings was in what is today the Alto Adige or South Tirol. There, they made, and still make, a bread dumpling known as canederli but also called gnocchi di pane (bread gnocchi). There is evidence that bread dumplings existed in this region during Neolithic times!

ingredients for this recipe, mushrooms, garlic, stracchino cheese, milk, parsley and gnocchi.
Step 1 Gather your ingredients: mushrooms, garlic, stracchino cheese, milk, parsley and gnocchi.

Potato gnocchi, on the other hand, date back to the more recent early 18th century! Potatoes were first brought to Europe from South America by Spanish explorers. During the 16th and 17th century, they were regarded with suspicion, distaste and fear by most Europeans. In fact, they used them only as animal food or to feed prisoners of war or the starving.

Sliced button mushrooms in white bowl. Dried porcini soaking in white bowl. Chopped parsley and peeled garlic in white bowl and stacchino in white bowl.
Step 2 Prepare the ingredients.

It wasn’t until the 18th century that potato gnocchi began to appear on Italian tables You can read more about the history of the different types of gnocchi in my Italian gnocchi post.

Homemade or store-bought gnocchi?

For faster prep, it is of course better to use store-bought potato gnocchi. Here in Italy, we can find very good fresh ready-made gnocchi. I often use them during the week when I don’t have time to make my own. In fact, that’s what I used for this creamy mushroom gnocchi recipe.

Sliced button mushrooms in skillet with garlic cloves and chopped parsley.
Step 3 Sauté the garlic, champignon mushrooms and some parsley in olive oil.

Some store-bought gnocchi are made with dried potatoes, potato flakes and potato starch. I prefer ones produced using only fresh organic potatoes. I use a brand called Mamma Emma, also available online in USA and UK. (not an ad!). Alternatively, homemade potato gnocchi are so very good and worth making. If you’d like to make your own, here’s my homemade gnocchi recipe.

Soaked dried porcini removed from water with a mesh strainer.
Step 4 Drain the soaked dried porcini and chop them into small pieces.

Which mushrooms are best for this recipe?

For this recipe, I used dried porcini and fresh champignons (button mushrooms). A lot of Italian mushroom pasta and mushroom gnocchi recipes call for porcini. Italians love mushroom hunting and foraging is very popular, particularly in the early autumn and spring. There are many types of edible wild mushrooms but the most sought after are Boletus edulis, or the king bolete, known to most of us as porcini or ceps.

Chopped porcini in skillet with softened button mushrooms and parsley.
Step 5 Add the chopped porcini to the skillet and continue cooking the mushrooms together.

Traditionally, Italian would use fresh porcini mushrooms in a recipe like this one. However, many also use frozen or dried instead of fresh. When using dried mushrooms, it’s necessary to soak them in warm water for at least 30 minutes before cooking them.

stracchino (crescenza) cheese in suacepan with milk.
Step 6 a) While the mushrooms are cooking put the stracchino cheese and some milk into a saucepan.

Other types of mushrooms are more readily available fresh and are less expensive. As I mentioned above, I included fresh white champignons (button mushrooms). However, you can use other types of champignons such as cremini (baby bellas) or portobellos. Chanterelle mushrooms and king oysters would be perfect too.  

stracchino (crescenza) cheese sauce in pan.
Step 6 b) Melt the stracchino in the milk over a low heat.

What is stracchino cheese?

The creaminess of this mushroom sauce comes mostly from the use of stracchino cheese. Stracchino (stra-key-no) also known as quartirolo or crescenza, is a fresh young cheese with a very soft, creamy and buttery texture and a mild and delicate flavour. It is a type of Italian cow's-milk cheese, typical of Lombardy, Piedmont, Veneto, and Liguria.

Ready cooked mushrooms in skillet.
Step7 The mushrooms are ready when they have just started to brown and caramelize.

The name ‘stracchino’ derives from the fact that this cheese was originally made after the cows returned from their alpine pastures at the end of summer. They were said to be weary or tired (stracco) from the journey. However, the word ‘crescenza’ apparently comes from the Latin ‘crescentia’, meaning to grow. This name comes from the fact that when left in a warm place, this cheese tends to increase in size like rising bread dough!

Stracchino sauce added to mushrooms in skillet.
Step 8. Add the stracchino sauce to the mushrooms. Mix together and simmer for a couple of minutes.

Substitutes for stracchino (crescenza).

If stracchino (crescenza) isn’t available, you can substitute with mascarpone, cream cheese, fontina or taleggio. The latter has a stronger flavour than stracchino, so if you use it the flavour of the sauce will be different.

How to make creamy mushroom gnocchi.

As with all recipes, the first step to making this mushroom gnocchi is to prepare the ingredients. Luckily this dish doesn’t have many, so it won’t take long! If you are using dried porcini put them to soak in warm water. Then clean and chop the other mushrooms. I usually just wipe them with a cloth. Mushrooms absorb water, so it’s better not to wash them.

Cooked gnocchi added to mushroom and starcchino sauce in skillet.
Step 8 Cook the gnocchi in boiling salted water for just a couple of minutes if they are fresh. Drain them and add to the mushroom sauce.

Apart from the mushrooms, the only other things to prepare are to peel the garlic and wash and chop the parsley. Oh, and put a pot of water on to boil for the gnocchi. This recipe can be on the table in the time it takes to boil the water and cook the gnocchi.

potato gnocchi and mushroom and stracchino sauce mixed together in skillet.
Step 9 Mix the potato gnocchi with the mushroom and stracchino sauce.

To cook the sauce, just sauté the garlic in olive oil. Then add the chopped champignons and some parsley. Cook until the mushrooms start to soften. Drain the porcini and chop them into small pieces and add to the other mushrooms. Continue cooking the mushrooms while you melt the stracchino with a little milk in a separate pan.

creamy mushroom gnocchi with stracchino in white bowl.
Step 10 Plate and serve your creamy mushroom gnocchi. Add more chopped parsley and some grated Parmigiano or vegetarian parmesan.

Finally, once all the mushrooms start to brown a little add the melted stracchino. Mix everything together well and season with salt and pepper as required. Then cook your gnocchi and when they are ready, drain and add them to the mushroom and stracchino sauce. Mix together carefully and serve with chopped fresh parsley.

Creamy mushroom gnocchi with stracchino crescenza.

What to do with leftovers.

I doubt you’ll have leftovers of this creamy mushroom gnocchi with stracchino. BUT, if you do, they’ll keep sealed in the fridge for a day or two. The sauce tends to dry out, but you can fry the leftovers in some butter and sprinkle with grated parmesan.

N.B. This recipe is vegetarian but Italian parmigiano or grana is not. Therefore, vegetarians will want to use a vegetarian cheese if adding grated cheese to the recipe or leftovers.

Let me know what you think.

This creamy mushroom gnocchi was a big hit with my family and I’m sure it will be with yours too. If you try it, please do let me know what you think. I’d love to hear how it turns out. Please write a comment here on the blog, email me or post a comment on the Pasta Project Facebook page.

Buon Appetito!

Do check out the links to other mushroom gnocchi or pasta recipes after the recipe.

Creamy mushroom gnocchi with stracchino (crescenza)

Creamy Mushroom Gnocchi with Stracchino (Crescenza)

Jacqui
Made with store-bought or homemade potato gnocchi and a creamy porcini and button mushroom sauce this restaurant worthy vegetarian mushroom gnocchi with stracchino recipe is easy enough for weeknights but special enough to serve to guests! Full of Italian fall flavours this recipe makes a great side dish with meat or poultry.
5 from 48 votes
Print Recipe Save Recipe Saved! Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 45 minutes mins
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Italian, Mediterranean, Northern Italy
Servings 4
Calories 594 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb fresh mushrooms (500g) I used button mushrooms. also good with cremini, portabello, chanterelle and king oysters
  • 2 oz dried porcini (50g) soaked in warm water for 30 minutes
  • 2 garlic cloves peeled
  • fresh parsley washed and chopped
  • 10.5 oz stracchino cheese (300g) also called crescenza. Or mascarpone, cream cheese, fontina or taleggio.
  • 5-8 tablespoon fresh milk you may need more depending on the cheese.
  • 14 oz potato gnocchi The brand I use is called Mamma Emma and can be found in USA & UK.
  • 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil you can also use butter
  • salt for gnocchi and to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions
 

Prepare the ingredients.

  • Put the dried porcini in warm water to soak for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile clean and cut the mushrooms into slices or quarters. Peel the garlic. Wash and chop the parsley.

Make the sauce.

  • Sauté the garlic in olive oil until it softens then add the fresh mushrooms and some chopped parsley. Cook until the mushrooms start to soften.
  • Drain the porcini, chop them into small pieces and add to the other mushrooms. Mix together and continue to cook until they start to brown.
  • While the mushrooms cook, melt the stracchino cheese in the milk over a low heat until it becomes a smooth sauce. You will need to keep stirring to help remove lumps and stop the sauce from burning. Add more milk if needed.
  • When the mushrooms are cooked pour the stracchino sauce into the pan and mix everything together. Simmer for a couple of minutes.

Finish and serve.

  • Cook the gnocchi for 2-3 minutes (if fresh) in boiling salted water. Drain them and add to the mushroom and stracchino sauce. Mix every thing together carefully and serve with more fresh parsley and some grated Parmigiano or vegetarian parmesan.
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Notes

If stracchino (crescenza) isn’t available, you can substitute with mascarpone, cream cheese, fontina or taleggio. However, the latter has a stronger flavour than stracchino.
I included fresh white champignons (button mushrooms). But, you can use other types of champignons such as cremini (baby bellas) or portobellos. Chanterelle mushrooms and king oysters would be perfect too.  You can also make this recipe without porcini.

Nutrition

Calories: 594kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 14gFat: 38gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 585mgPotassium: 711mgFiber: 5gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1030IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 123mgIron: 5mg
Keyword mushroom gnocchi, porcini recipe, potato gnocchi, stracchino cheese
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Creamy mushroom gnocchi with stracchino crescenza

More gnocchi recipes to try.

  1. Ricotta Gnocchi with mushrooms recipe from Piemonte
  2. The Best Italian Potato Gnocchi Recipe
  3. Gnocchi with Castelmagno Cheese
  4. Strangolapreti (spinach and bread gnocchi)

Delicious Italian mushroom pasta recipes for your table.

  1. Olive leaf pasta with king oyster mushroom recipe from Puglia.
  2. Mezzi paccheri with mushrooms and cream recipe from Naples.
  3. Tagliatelle with porcini recipe from Tuscany
  4. Italian salt cod and porcini tagliatelle recipe from Abruzzo
  5. Spaghetti 'mare e monti' recipe from Marche.

If you are interested in learning how to make homemade pasta and different types of gnocchi, check out my shop page for some great video online courses from my friends in Rome! Nothing beats learning to make pasta from Italians! Plus while you’re there why not order a copy of pasta recipe cookbooks or some Italian pasta making tools? Also great presents for pasta lovers!


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    5 from 48 votes (27 ratings without comment)

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  1. Malcolm Lashbrook says

    July 05, 2024 at 5:04 pm

    Bought some Stracchino from a cheese show, mainly because I had never heard of it. Upon getting home I googled for recipes using this cheese, and this recipe stood out.
    Thoroughly enjoyed, even though we did not have any fresh parsley!!
    I will now be looking for Stracchino on visits to delicatessens.

    Reply
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