Gnocchi (NYOH-kee) are Italian potato dumplings. They are often dubbed as “smart pasta” because unlike pasta, they rise to the surface when ready. Gnocchi are widely available frozen at supermarkets and are a convenient choice for a quick meal or a side dish. When something is easily available you just doesn’t feel like going through all the trouble of making it from scratch. But when you’ve made your own gnocchi, there is a wonderful sense of accomplishment!
Because gnocchi are so delicate, they are best had with light sauces. Often they are dressed with only melted butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano. The sage, garlic and butter combination is perfect for me because I’m more than happy to have herbs wherever I get the opportunity. Besides, you wouldn’t want to toil in the kitchen after having spent so much time on the gnocchi anyway.
Gnocchi are lighter and more delicate when the potatoes are baked or roasted rather than boiled. That’s a because boiled potatoes will have a much higher water content and therefore, will need to be countered by a higher quantity of flour – resulting in more dense gnocchi. The flour merely does the job of binding the potato together. Thus, the lesser the flour, the lighter the gnocchi.
A little about shaping the gnocchi: It’s important to shape them evenly, else you’ll end up with some inconsistently cooked gnocchi. You could make different shapes. Below are two shapes that I’ve tried. To shape it like the first one, hold a fork in one hand and place a gnoccho against the tines of the fork. As for the second one, simple make tiny roundels will the dough and make a slight dent in the middle (this will help the gnocchi hold the sauce well). You should try the second shape if you want to finish quicker.
When you’ve become adept at making gnocchi you could also try potato gnocchi coloured with spinach, carrots, tomato or beetroot.
Sage Garlic Butter Gnocchi Recipe
For the gnocchi
1 kg (2 lbs) whole baking potatoes
2 beaten egg yolks
150g (5 oz.) flour
Salt
Sage Garlic Butter
A splash of extra virgin olive oil
60g (2 oz.) tablespoons butter
2 – 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
Sage leaves, cut lengthwise – quantity depends on your taste – I like mine very, very herby!
Garnish
60g (2 oz.) Parmesan shavings
More sage leaves for garnish
Freshly cracked pepper
A drizzle of truffle oil if you feel like indulging :)
Roast and peel the potatoes and mash them while they’re still warm. After you’re done mashing, just fluff them up with a fork to give them some volume. If you have a potato ricer, you could use that instead.Add the flour, egg and salt. Mix by hand until you have a nice a pliable ball of dough. Do not over work the dough.
Dust your work area with flour. Take the dough, a piece at a time, and roll it out gently with your hands until you have rolls about 1.5cm/0.6″ in diameter. Key here, is do it gently.Cut the tubes of dough into pieces about 2 cms/0.8″ long. Using either the tines of a fork or your fingertip to form an indentation. At this point if you feel you’ve done enough hard work you could just hide the some in the freezer and surprise yourself later! Asyou are making the gnocchi, place them on flat baking pan, lightly dusted with flour or lined with wax paper.Freeze what you like, them first on a floured or lined tray, then once completely frozen you can put them into a freezer bag.
To cook, just put the frozen gnocchi into salted water (or add a cube of chicken stock to this for extra flavour) that has come to a rolling boil. Gently drop the gnocchi, a few at a time, into the water. As soon as they rise (about 4-6 minutes) to the surface, remove them with a slotted spoon. Drain well.
Now for the Sage Garlic Butter; in a large pan, heat the extra virgin olive oil, add the butter and garlic and sauté. Make sure the garlic doesn’t turn brown. Add the sage, continue too cook for a minute then add the gnocchi. Sauté till the gnocchi is slightly golden.
Serve on a plate garnished with parmigiano reggiano shavings, cracked pepper and truffle oil.
This turned out so well, it makes me want to pack my bags and live and cook under the Tuscan sun and learn traditional Italian cooking (the perfect life!).
Helpful tips:
If it’s going to be a while before your sauce is ready, then remove the cooked gnocchi in a dish and coat with some extra virgin olive oil, else it might stick to each other.
If the potatoes aren’t warm enough while mashing, heat them over a double boiler until warm again and continue to mash.
This makes for an interesting read: The great gnocchi debate.