Great Italian Gnocchi

Think of Italian food and pasta almost always comes to mind first. But there is another staple that has been part of the Italian diet for centuries: gnocchi. Their name in the native tongue - lump - describes their shape, but not their taste. Made from potatoes one might think that taste would be bland and boring, filling, but flat. Oh, how wrong that thought would be...

Gnocchi are not by themselves a complete dish. Though they make a great snack with just a little salt and pepper! The Italians often eat them as an alternative to soup. So, it's best to judge them in the context of a complete recipe. Here are a few that will allow you to do that with ease.

Gnocchi recipes

Gnocchi can make an appetizer, a side dish or a mian course, depending how you prepared them, whto you add and the portions. Gnocchi are as verstile as pasta an just as delicious.

Spinach gnocchi recipe

Gnocchi with a flavorful spinach and cheese sauce. Simple, filling, and delicious.

Ingredients

1 cup spinach
5 gnocchi
1 oz Romano Cheese
dash of sage

Procedure

1. Making this dish is simplicity itself. Mix the spinach with a little water and then puree to desired consistency. Steam the gnocci by sprinkling them with water and placing into the microwave for 1 minute. Then mash the gnocchi until they're broken down, but still lumpy. Mix the two together, then place into the oven at 350°F/177°C for a few minutes, just until warm. During the last 30 seconds, sprinkle on the sage and Romano cheese.

Tomato gnocchi recipe

To take a step up from those spinach gnocchi, try the tomato ones.

Ingredients

1/3 cup tomato sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove

Procedure

1. To the above spinach recipe, add 1/3 cup of tomato sauce. Simmer in a pan for about 5 minutes. For a delightful addition, add a few slices of porcini mushrooms. Crush the garlic and sprinkle on, then put into the oven for a few minutes to warm.

Recipe to make gnocchi from scratch

For the truly adventurous, you can make your own gnocchi, which are after all just dumplings made from potato.

Ingredients

3 large baking Idaho potatoes
12 quarts water
2 cups semolina flour
1 large egg
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
Parmesan cheese, a sprinkling
A pinch of nutmeg

Procedure

1. Boil the potatoes in a large pot for about half an hour making sure they have enough room to move around. Drain and allow to cool enough to handle. Still-warm potatoes work best for this recipe.
2. Scrape off the skin with a paring knife, then slice using a food mill with a narrow-opening disc.
3. In a small bowl, beat the egg and add flour, then sprinkle with cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Work the mixture into lumpy balls. Cut into dumplings about 1/2 inch thick, working them with a fork to the proper shape (a short, fat, twisted, solid tube).
4. In a large pot, add 6 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Drop the gnocchi dough in and stir gently to keep them from sticking to one another. Cooking should take only a minute or so.

Gnocchi done!

Whew! That was a lot of work, but the results will be well worth while. Enjoy!