Gnocchi Gratin Recipes

GRANDMA'S GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool slightly, and peel. Season with salt, then mash potatoes with fork, masher, or in ricer. Place in large bowl, and stir in egg and olive oil. Knead in enough flour to make a soft dough.
• On a floured surface, roll dough into a long rope. Cut the rope into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Drop in gnocchi, and cook until they float to the top, about 3 to 5 minutes. Serve with pasta sauce.

GNOCCHI GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degees.
• In a small sauce pan over med heat, warm the milk.
• In a med sauce pan over med low heat add the butter.
• When the butter has melted, add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes, to make a roux.
• Remove from heat and slowly add the hot milk, while whisking constantly.
• Add the salt, and return to med heat and cook, stiring constantly, until the sauce is smooth and thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 1 minute.
• Remove from heat.
• Place half the cooked Gnocchi into a baking dish.
• Top with half of the white sauce and half the cheese.
• Place the other half of the Gnocchi into baking dish.
• Top with the remaining sauce and remaining cheese.
• Cut the remaining butter (1TBS) into small bits and pat them over the sauce.
• Sprinkle top evenly with the bread crumbs.
• Bake the gratin until the sauce is bubbling around the edges, and the top is golden brown, about 30 minute.
• Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minute.

GNOCCHI GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375*F.
• Boil the potatoes in salted water.
• Peel and pass through a ricer.
• While the potatoes are still warm, stir in the egg yolks, flour, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
• On a floured surface, roll the mixture into 1 inch thick logs.
• Cut the logs into 1 inch pieces; stand each piece on end and flatten with the palm of your hand into 1/4 inch thick disks.
• Blanch the gnocchi a few at a time in boiling salted water until they rise to the surface.
• Plunge them into a bowl of ice water.
• Drain and pat dry.
• Bring the cream and garlic to a boil, (I do this while the potatoes are boiling).
• Remove from the heat and let stand for at least 1/2 hour.
• Strain through a sieve and keep warm until ready to assemble the dish.
• In a buttered gratin dish, layer the gnocchi, cheese and hot garlic cream, finishing with cream and cheese.
• Bake for 35 minutes until bubbly and lightly browned.

SPINACH GNOCCHI GRATIN

Steps:

• In a large heavy saucepan cook the spinach in the water clinging to the leaves, covered, over moderate heat, stirring once or twice, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until it is wilted, refresh it under cold water, and drain it well in a colander. Squeeze the spinach dry by handfuls and chop it fine.
• In a heavy saucepan bring the water and the milk just to a boil with the butter, stirring until the butter is melted, add the flour all at once, and stir the mixture briskly with a wooden spatula until it pulls away from the side of the pan and forms a ball. Cook the dough over moderate heat, stirring, for 1 minute. Transfer the dough to a bowl and with an electric mixer beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, the salt, the pepper, the nutmeg, and the spinach.
• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Into a kettle of boiling salted water drop walnut-size spoonfuls of the paste, about 10 at a time, and simmer them, uncovered, for 5 minutes, or until they rise to the surface and are cooked through. Transfer the gnocchi as they are cooked with a slotted spoon to a large colander and let them drain well. Arrange the gnocchi in one layer in a buttered 1 1/2- to 2-quart shallow grating dish or flame-proof baking dish, drizzle the cream over them, and sprinkle them with the Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste. Bake the gnocchi in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes and broil them under a hot broiler about 4 inches from the heat for 1 minute, or until they are browned lightly.