Friday, March 20, 2009

Gnocchi



Gnocchi has a very special place in my heart as it was a celebratory food in my family. My grandma would serve gigantic platters of gnocchi with her famous gravy to our huge extended family on holidays. Today, it is something we eat at my brother's house when I go back home to visit; Dave and I live in California, and my family is in Illinois.

I've heard from many people that they dislike gnocchi because they find it too heavy, dense, or mushy. Properly prepared gnocchi is not heavy. Gnocchi should taste like little fluffy pillows of deliciousness.
This is my gnocchi recipe, and it makes really light, but sturdy gnocchi. I have a few tips for you:
1. If you can find it, use 00 flour (double zero). It is lighter and fluffier.
2. Use an organic free-range egg.
3. Do not over-work the dough or it will get tough. Just knead gently until the dough comes together.
4. Using a towel, peel the potaoes while they are still hot, and then make the dough right away.
5. This recipe makes at least 6 large servings. Gnocchi freezes well once it is cooked. If you want to freeze the gnocchi, cook the gnocchi and as soon as it is drained put it into an ice water bath. Then drain, and drizzle with a very small amount of olive oil. Spread the gnocchi on a single layer on a baking sheet. Put the baking sheet in the freezer until the gnocchi are frozen, Once frozen, wrap the gnocchi in a ziplock bag. To reheat-boil until heated through, or pan fry.




Gnocchi
3 large Idaho potatoes
12 ounces of Italian flour (or all-purpose)
1 egg, beaten
salt
Boil the unpeeled potatoes in salted water until just tender. Immediately peel the potatoes (use a towel to protect your hands). Put the potatoes through a food mill or a potato ricer. Season with a pinch of salt. Add the egg and flour. Knead together until you have a soft dough. You can add extra flour if your dough is too sticky.
Roll pieces of dough into long dowels. Cut the gnocchi into 3/4-inch pieces. Roll each gnocchi over a wooden gnocchi board or over the tines of a fork to create lines-good for holding on to the sauce. Keep the gnocchi spread out so that they do not stick together.
While you are making the gnocchi, bring a large pot of water to a boil. It is easiest if you cook the gnocchi in several batches to prevent them from clumping together. Carefully drop the gnocchi in to the boiling water and give a quick stir. As soon as the gnocchi start rising to the top of the pot-in about 2 minutes, they are done. Remove the gnocchi from the pot with a slotted spoon. Place them in a bowl of cold water with ice to stop the cooking process.

You can serve the gnocchi just as is when they come out of the boiling water, or, you can pan fry them in a little bit of butter. When pan fried they get a lovely golden crust. I like the gnocchi with just a little butter and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. My family really likes gnocchi with vodka sauce-basically a marinara with a bit of vodka in it. Pesto sauce is also a good choice.
If you want to serve your friends and family a really lovely Italian meal, try
making gnocchi. I think you'll be surprised at how easy it is to make, and how amazingly delicious it is to eat!

15 comments:

  1. Oh my gosh...what a wonderful memory! The first time that I ever had gnocchi was at your grandma's house. I loved it! I have found a few places that serve decent gnocchi but I have never even thought of making it on my own. I may have to try this because I do love my gnocchi. Yum.

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  2. Yes, your entire family loves gnocchi. Even Marisa! Looks great. I'll have to try it pan fried.

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  3. yay!!!!!! you posted the recipe :) they look just awesome :)

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  4. Kristy- I remember that you first had gnocchi at my grandma's house. You can buy good frozen gnocchi at some Italian delis or good grocery stores. Just be careful not to over-cook it.

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  5. Cheryl- Pan fried is really yummy and done commonly in Italy. I think it is neat that Marisa eats so many foods. I can't wait to start cooking with her.

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  6. Lauren- I've heard of people putting sugar, cinnamon, and butter on gnocchi, but I've never tried it. It sounds really good though! Let me know how your gnocchi turn out when you make them. Write me if you have any questions!

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  7. Gnocchi is my favorite pasta. I am one family member that loves it with vodka sauce although I really loved your grandma's sauce best. However, her recipe would not be a healthy sauce today since she used about 10 pounds of butter when she made a batch. We old people have to watch our hearts. :)

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  8. I do like vodka sauce,but these gnocchi are so tasty even without sauce that I like them with just a tiny bit of butter.

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  9. The pan-fried gnocchi looks yummy! I've never seen gnocchi pan-fried before. I'll be trying this for sure!

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  10. Oh, I love gnocchi, Michele. I had it over the weekend at a nice restaurant and have been thinking about making it ever since. I have a beautiful, dense winter squash that needs using, so I was going to make it with that. I like your recipe and the idea of pan-frying them a bit.

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  11. I heart gnocchi. Yours looks delicious. Great job on making them.

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  12. Thank you pinkstripes and Suzi!

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  13. Barbara-
    The winter squash sounds like a fantastic idea! I can't wait to see how they turn out.

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  14. I had to tell you that I bought Gnocchi yesterday...I happened to see it in the grocery store and couldn't resist as I've been craving it since your post. I'm sure it's not as good as homemade but I'm too lazy to try to make it right now so this will have to do. I'm looking forward to eating it...maybe for lunch tomorrow.

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  15. Kristy- Frozen gnocchi can be really good, just be careful not to overcook them. Even frozen, they cook up in a flash!

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