Gnocchi

Time for one of those fancy menu items. When I see gnocchi on a menu, I know it's time for flavor delights. Gnocchi is the potato noodle of the pasta world, and another dish with a very deep history. It dates back to the Renaissance, at least, so even Da Vinci may have partaken in a potato dumpling or two. In 1570, a chef named Bartolomeo Scappi wrote a cookbook including a version of gnocchi. I mean, this is an antique recipe. A recipe that has spanned many a king, queen, dictator, and so on. The origin of the name may come from the Italian word "nocca" which means "knuckle". And given the shape, I think that's a fair pairing.

Like most foods, gnocchi has evolved over time. Earlier renditions were made of bread crumbs or vegetables, but it was when Spanish explorers introduced potatoes that the dumpling we all know and love took its form (literally). A fascinating fact is that Italian regions have different versions of gnocchi.

The best gnocchi I have personally ever had was down in Tampa when I went to my friend's wedding rehearsal dinner. It was a shrimp and gnocchi in alfredo dish and was obviously rather unforgettable (that's what you are...).

Raise your hand if you think gnocchi is a huge project, requiring hours of prep to make. Well, hand raiser, you're dead wrong.

Gnocchi is actually rather simple to make! And I know, I say that about everything. But as I've written many a time, I often make a dish and after months or sometimes years of thinking it would be a nightmare, it turns out to be a totally reasonable undertaking. And that's precisely what happened here.

I've had gnocchi on my wish list for a super long time. It made it to the front of my mind after a recent conversation with someone new; this person mentioned making it for dinner one night, and after some chat, I decided it was time.

With only three ingredients, gnocchi is a simple way to feel like a chef. Ever mashed a potato? Well, you were 1/3 of the way there. I boiled some potatoes for about half an hour, until they were fork tender. After draining them, I mashed them up.

A note on this: I made 2 batches of gnocchi. In the first, I just used a masher to mash the potatoes. I had a lot of little potato chunks in the gnocchi. So, for round 2, I used an immersion blender to make the mashed potatoes a bit more smooth. I think that the final gnocchi was lovely either way, but would recommend a good potato blend.

To make the dough, I added 1 cup of flour to a pastry board and added 1 cup of mashed potatoes. 

I began mixing it together, then added an egg. After that, I just gently mixed the dough with my hands until it began to form. I kneaded it a few times and added a little extra flour, as it was a bit sticky at first.

Once I got it formed, I divided the dough into 4 parts, then rolled a section out to make a little log about 1/2 inch thick.

I repeated this to make 4 little dough snakes.

I flattened them down a big and sliced the gnocchi. Each wound up being about 1 by 2 inches. I used a fork to press down and imprint the pattern on one side. 

Now we are looking like a gnocchi!

Off to the side I boiled some water, then dunked the gnocchi in and let them cook for 3 minutes. It's easy to tell when they are done - they float to the top.

But how to serve them? Let me count the ways. Below, with some pesto.

And next, with some alfredo (recipe for vegan alfredo coming soon).

Gnocchi can go many a route. Marinara. Butter and garlic. The world is your gnocchi oyster. Personally, I reserve marinara for pasta and dipping breadsticks into, so I went with alternates. But: simple. Only 3 ingredients. Easier than pasta to make. I could make a whole dating app profile for gnocchi and it would be the top pick.

I would say that for someone who wants to lightly play with dough and not get into a huge project, gnocchi is a great place to start.

Gnocchi Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups flour (plus some for dusting the work surface)

2 cups mashed potatoes (I used red)

1 egg

Instructions:

Boil water in a medium pot. Add flour to a pastry board. Mix in mashed potatoes and use your hands to mix. Add egg and mix to form a dough. If the dough is sticky, add another 1-2 tablespoons of flour and mix. Once a dough forms, knead a few times and then divide into 4 even pieces. Roll each out into a log shape about 1/2 inch thick. Gently press down to flatten the dough log, then slice into 1/2 inch pieces. Press down slightly with a fork to create an impression on the side of the gnocchi. Boil the gnocchi in batches for 3 minutes to cook (or freeze in the uncooked state).

made from best gnocchi recipe