Mushroom & Kale Gnocchi

Fill a medium pot 3/4 of the way up with salted water; cover and heat to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Separate the kale leaves from the stems; discard the stems, then roughly chop the leaves. Peel and roughly chop 2 cloves of garlic. Peel and thinly slice the shallot. Combine the chopped kale, chopped garlic, and sliced shallot in a bowl. Cut the mushrooms into bite-sized pieces. Roughly chop the crispy onions. Zest the lemon to get 1 teaspoon (if you don’t have a zester, use a peeler to remove the yellow rind of the lemon, avoiding the white pith; mince the rind). Quarter and deseed the lemon. Roughly chop the parsley leaves and stems. In a bowl, combine the chopped crispy onions, lemon zest, and chopped parsley. Mix to thoroughly combine. 

In a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the mushroom pieces in an even layer. Cook, without stirring, 3 to 4 minutes, or until browned. Add the juice of 2 lemon wedges (carefully, as the liquid may splatter). Cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until most of the liquid has cooked off. Add the prepared kale mixture and as much of the red pepper flakes as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 2 to 3 minutes, or until the kale is slightly wilted. Add 1/4 cup of water (carefully, as the liquid may splatter). Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until the kale is wilted and the water has cooked off. Turn off the heat. 

Meanwhile, add the gnocchi to the pot of boiling water. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until the gnocchi float to the top of the pot. Reserving 1/2 cup of the gnocchi cooking water, drain thoroughly. 

To the pan of cooked vegetables, add the cooked gnocchi and half the reserved gnocchi cooking water. Cook on medium-high, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes, or until the gnocchi are coated (if necessary, gradually add the remaining cooking water to ensure the gnocchi are thoroughly coated). Turn off the heat; stir in the mascarpone. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve the finished gnocchi garnished with the gremolata. Serve the remaining lemon wedges on the side. Enjoy!