Pasta is lovely, don't get me wrong. But sometimes you just crave that pillowy goodness that only gnocchi can give you. Most people think only in terms of ricotta or potato (and let me tell you the divide that causes!). But you can make gnocchi out of so many different things: your imagination is the only limitation! And though you can make ricotta gnocchi (actually called gnudi, believe it or not) without any special equipment, here is where I tell you that you have to have a ricer or food mill to make the rest. And while I'm not a fan of bulky equipment in the kitchen, my ricer does get a lot of use. It not only makes gnocchi, but also makes silky smooth mashed potatoes, great applesauce, and really gets the water out of that frozen spinach. Also, randomly, a great tool in making latkes! But, back to the matter at hand. I have done a traditional potato gnocchi (though with an untraditional sauce), a twist on ricotta gnocchi, and a few others thrown in for good measure. And the beauty is how well they freeze! Just lay them on a sheet tray, freeze solid, then store in Ziploc bags in your freezer until ready to eat. Then straight from the freezer into the boiling water! Nothing like a homemade meal that tastes like it took hours to make on a random Tuesday night. I hope you enjoy! |
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Arugula Pesto Gnudi (Ricotta Gnocchi) with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Balsamic |
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I love arugula. Its pepperiness livens up many dishes. Pair that with creamy ricotta, toasted almonds, caramelized onions and sun-dried tomatoes, and you have a winning dish. The trick to keeping your gnudi as light as possible is to get as much liquid out of the ricotta as possible. I like to set mine in a cheesecloth-lined strainer in the fridge overnight, or for at least a couple hours. Then I give it a good squeeze before I use it. The less liquid you have, the less flour you need. The less flour you need, the lighter the gnudi. Simple formula really... I used the piping bag shaping method for these - fast and easy. For a video on how to do that, click the button below. | | |
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Serves 4 as a side dish or 2 as a main course 1, 15-oz tub of ricotta cheese, well drained (see above) 2 Tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted 1 clove garlic, peeled 1 1/2 cup arugula 1/3 cup Italian parsley leaves 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided 1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided 2 eggs 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, plus additional as needed 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus additional as needed 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus additional as needed 1 onion, thinly sliced 1 pinch baking soda 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced 1/4 cup of water 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar Shaved parmesan, for garnish Place almonds, garlic, arugula, parsley, and 2 tablespoons each of parmesan and olive oil in a food processor. Process until finely ground. Add eggs and process until combined. Add mixture to ricotta and season with salt and pepper. Add flour and stir just until combined. Press mixture together and see if it holds in a dough. If not, add just enough flour until it holds. Load in to a piping bag and set aside. Set a large pot of water over high heat to boil. Once boiling, season with salt and reduce to a simmer. In a wide skillet set over medium heat, add remaining olive oil. Add onion and a pinch of baking soda (see why here), along with a pinch of salt. Cook until caramelized and brown. Add sun-dried tomatoes, water, and balsamic vinegar. Cook until reduced to a sauce consistency. Remove from heat and add remaining parmesan cheese. Pipe gnudi in to simmering water. Once gnudi floats to the top, continue to cook for 30-60 seconds, and remove from water. Use some of the cooking water to thin sauce to appropriate consistency and pour over gnocchi. Serve garnished with shaved parmesan. |
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Potato Gnocchi with Bacon, Corn, and Kale |
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Potato gnocchi are probably my favorite, and they are so versatile. They can be used with any sauce - including a fun take on mac and cheese. Most people make the mistake of boiling the potatoes (mainly because recipes tell you to), but that just adds a lot of liquid that means more flour to bind. The more flour you use, the heavier the gnocchi get. Also, by using cake flour to replace some of the traditional all-purpose, you reduce the protein content, which means softer gluten bonds (meaning lighter gnocchi). For the sauce, I pulled out all my fun summer produce and made a sauce using my favorite ingredient: bacon! If you haven't ever seen how to shape gnocchi, here is a video to help. | | |
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Serves 4 as a side dish or 2 as a main course 1 pound russet potatoes 1 egg 1 Tablespoon freshly grated parmesan cheese 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 Tablespoons cake flour, plus more as needed 8 ounces bacon, cut in to small pieces 1 onion, diced 2 cups of kale (I like Lacinato), stems removed, and sliced thinly 2 cups of corn kernels (about 2 ears), fresh or frozen 1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest (from 1 large lemon) Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Scrub potatoes, prick with a fork (to let more moisture out), and place in oven. Bake until tender, about 1 hour depending on the size of the potato. Remove from oven and let cool enough to handle. Peel skin off potato and process flesh through ricer or food mill into medium bowl. Add egg and parmesan and stir until combined. Add flours, season generously with salt and pepper, and stir just until mixed. Test to see if the dough will form. If it is still wet, continue adding cake flour a tablespoon at a time until it just comes together. Divide dough in to 4 pieces. Roll each piece in to a log about 1/4-1/2" thick. Cut in to 1/2" pieces. Create ridges if desired. Place on to lightly floured sheet tray and set aside. Set a large pot of water over high heat to boil. Once boiling, season with salt and reduce to a simmer. In a large skillet set over medium heat, render bacon fat until crispy. Remove bacon, leaving fat behind. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add kale (and a pinch of salt) and cook until wilted. Add corn and continue cooking until heated through. Stir in lemon zest and season with salt and pepper, as needed. Remove from heat and set aside while cooking gnocchi. Add gnocchi to simmering water, in batches. Once gnocchi floats, continue cooking for 30-60 seconds, then remove and add to pan with vegetables. Once all gnocchi are added to pan, return to medium-low heat until heated through, adding cooking water as needed to create a "saucy" consistency. Serve immediately. |
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Garam Masala Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter Sauce |
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Garam Masala is probably my favorite spice blend. Since it pairs so nicely with things that are a little sweet (including sweet potatoes), I thought it might be lovely to use in a sweet potato gnocchi. I was not wrong. Paired with nutty brown butter, it is a delicious addition to any dinner rotation. The one thing you will have to remember about sweet potato gnocchi is that they will be heavier. Sweet potatoes are a waxy potato, meaning they hold on to their moisture more, requiring more flour. You could lighten them up a bit by cutting it with half russet potato, but then it loses... a little something. Be sure to crisp the edges in the brown butter though - that texture is the best part of this dish! |
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Serves 4 as a side dish or 2 as a main dish 1 pound sweet potatoes 1 egg 1 teaspoon garam masala 1/2 cup cake flour, plus more as needed 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 stick (8 Tablespoons or 4 ounces) unsalted butter 1 Tablespoon cider vinegar (or other vinegar of your choice) Pinch of red chile flakes (optional) Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Scrub potatoes, prick with a fork (to let more moisture out), and place in oven. Bake until tender, about 1 hour depending on the size of the potato. Remove from oven and let cool enough to handle. Peel skin off potato and process flesh through ricer or food mill into medium bowl. Add egg and stir until combined. Add garam masala and flours. Season generously with salt and pepper, and stir just until mixed. Test to see if the dough will form. If it is still wet, continue adding cake flour a tablespoon at a time until it just comes together. Divide dough in to 4 pieces. Roll each piece in to a log about 1/4-1/2" thick. Cut in to 1/2" pieces. Create ridges if desired. Place on to lightly floured sheet tray and set aside. This dough also works quite well with the piping bag method. Set a large pot of water over high heat to boil. Once boiling, season with salt and reduce to a simmer. In a large skillet set over medium heat, add butter. Cook, stirring occasionally until browned. Add cider vinegar, chile flakes if using, and season with salt and pepper. Once butter is almost brown, add gnocchi to simmering water. Once it floats, continue to cook for 30-60 seconds. Remove from water and add to butter pan, stirring occasionally until outsides of gnocchi are seared. Serve immediately. |
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Beet Gnocchi (with two sauces) |
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When I was testing this gnocchi, I realized that I hadn't done any creamy sauces for this newsletter, which I found sad. But I had this idea for a beautiful hazelnut and goat cheese dish too. So I decided to try them both and see which one was best, and include that one. But we ran in to a problem. We couldn't decide. So, I included both. The beauty of these dishes is that you could always add more to them also. For example, if you got lovely beets with tops at the Farmer's Market, add that to the pan with the hazelnut recipe, and it goes from side dish (which would really be great with steak, by the way) to main course stunner. I used both yellow beets and red beets for testing just because I thought it was pretty. I did notice that I had to add more flour to the red beets, as they were fresher. So this is a really great way to use up the beets that are sitting in your fridge that you forgot about and they're almost too old to use for anything else. Plus, fun colors! Always a bonus... |
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Gnocchi with Goat Cheese Cream Sauce Serves 4 as a side dish or 2 as a main course 1/2 pound (8 ounces) russet potato, scrubbed and pricked with a fork 1/2 pound (8 ounces) beets, tops removed, scrubbed, and pricked with a fork 1 egg 1/4 cup cake flour, plus more as needed 1/4 plus 2 Tablespoons cup all-purpose flour, divided 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter 1 shallot, minced 1 clove garlic, minced 2 cups whole milk 8 ounces goat cheese (or if you have a 10 ounce log, throw it all in!) Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place beets on a tray in the oven and roast until tender, about 1 hour, depending on size of beet. After 15 minutes, place potato on try with beet and roast until tender. Set aside to cool enough to handle (needs to still be at least a little warm to work). Once cool enough to handle, remove skins (both should peel right off). Process flesh through either a food mill or ricer in to a medium bowl. Add egg, cake flour, and 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour to bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper and stir just until mixed. If dough is still wet, add cake flour, a tablespoon at a time until a dough just forms. Divide dough in to 4 pieces. Roll each piece in to a log about 1/4-1/2" thick. Cut in to 1/2" pieces. Create ridges if desired. Place on to lightly floured sheet tray and set aside. This dough also works quite well with the piping bag method. Set a large pot of water over high heat to boil. Once boiling, season with salt and reduce to a simmer. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add shallot and garlic and cook until translucent and fragrant, about 60 seconds. Add flour and mix until combined. Add milk, a little at a time to prevent lumps. Bring to a boil and let thicken to desired consistency. Remove from heat, add goat cheese, and stir until goat cheese is melted and combined. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Add gnocchi to simmering water, in batches. Once gnocchi floats, continue cooking for 30-60 seconds, then remove and place in serving dishes. Pour sauce over and serve immediately. |
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Beet Gnocchi with Goat Cheese and Hazelnuts This recipe uses the gnocchi from above (same process so I won't bore you with repeating it), toasted hazelnuts and goat cheese. Hazelnuts are sometimes hard to find without their skins (they're actually called filberts if they are already de-skinned). But, I have made a video on how to remove the skins yourself (hint: it's not hard). | | |
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Beet gnocchi (from recipe above) 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 shallot, thinly sliced 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced 4 oz goat cheese, crumbled 1/4 cup hazelnuts, peeled, toasted, and coarsely chopped Add olive oil, shallot, and garlic to a large skillet. Place skillet on low heat (yes - you need to add the garlic and shallot to the cold pan/oil - it helps prevent burning in this case). When shallot and garlic are starting to become fragrant, add cooked gnocchi to the pan (from above recipe) and sear the outsides until just starting to turn color. Place gnocchi on serving plate, pour flavored oil from the pan over the top, and garnish with goat cheese and hazelnuts. Serve immediately. |
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