Gnocchi With Pancetta Spinach Parmesan Cream Recipes

CREAMY BUTTERY TUSCAN GNOCCHI RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Melt the butter and sauté shallots until transparent, about 2 minutes. Sauté garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add the gnocchi and let sear in the butter for a minute. Add the sun dried tomatoes and reserved oil. Cook for a further minute to release flavours into the gnocchi.
• Pour in the chicken broth, cream and Italian herbs. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix everything together and reduce heat to medium. Cover pan with lid and let cook for 5 minutes.
• Stir in the spinach leaves and cook until wilted, about 1 minute.
• Stir through parmesan cheese and chopped basil. Let simmer for a further minute or until gnocchi is soft, cooked through and the sauce has thickened to your liking.
• Season with a little extra salt & pepper, if needed, to suit your taste.
• Serve immediately.*

GNOCCHI WITH PANCETTA, SPINACH & PARMESAN CREAM

Steps:

• Cook the gnocchi following pack instructions, then drain. Meanwhile, heat 1 tsp of the oil in a small pan and fry the garlic, then add the cream and a good grating of nutmeg. Put to one side.
• Heat 2 tsp of the remaining oil in a frying pan and cook the pancetta until crisp. Add the gnocchi and fry until it starts to turn golden, adding a little more oil if it begins to stick. Stir in the spinach, lemon zest and seasoning.
• Stir the Parmesan into the cream sauce. Spoon the gnocchi onto plates, drizzle over the sauce and scatter with pine nuts. Serve with extra Parmesan.

SPINACH GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake potatoes until tender, about an hour. Immediately split them open to let the steam escape. When you can handle the potatoes, scoop out their flesh.
• While the potatoes bake, roughly chop the spinach. Put the oil in a small skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the spinach, season to taste, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and wilted, about 5 minutes. Rinse under cold water and squeeze dry. Transfer to a food processor and purée until smooth.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Pass potato flesh through a ricer or food mill, stir in the spinach purée, and season to taste. Sprinkle 1/4 cup flour on a clean counter or cutting board, and knead the potatoes with it, sprinkling in the remaining 1/2 cup flour, until the dough just comes together. Pinch off a piece of the dough, and boil it to make sure it will hold its shape. If it does not, knead in a bit more flour (no more than necessary), and try again; the gnocchi will float to the top and look a little raggedy when ready.
• Roll a piece of the dough into a rope about 1/2-inch thick, then cut the rope into 1/2-inch lengths. Score each piece by rolling it along the tines of a fork; as each piece is ready, put it on a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper; do not allow the gnocchi to touch one another.
• Add the gnocchi to the boiling water a few at a time, and gently stir; adjust the heat so the mixture doesn't boil too vigorously. A few seconds after they rise to the surface, the gnocchi are done; remove them with a slotted spoon or mesh strainer, and finish with any of the following sauces: Tomato Sauce: Cook a small chopped onion in olive oil until soft. Add minced garlic, 3 to 4 cups of chopped tomatoes, canned or fresh, and salt and pepper. Cook at a steady bubble until ''saucy.'' If the sauce becomes too thick, add a splash of the gnocchi cooking water before serving. Garnish with torn basil and/or grated Parmesan. Brown Butter, Sage, and Parmesan: Put 4 tablespoons butter and a handful of fresh sage leaves (40 wouldn't be too many) in a skillet over medium heat. Cook until the butter is light brown and the sage is sizzling, about 3 minutes. Toss with the gnocchi, some of their cooking water and loads of grated Parmesan. Olive Oil and Garlic: Put at least a tablespoon of minced garlic in a puddle of olive oil, along with (optional) red-pepper flakes and/or chopped anchovies. Cook until the garlic just turns golden (but no more than that). Toss with the gnocchi, some of their cooking water and plenty of chopped parsley. Bacon and Cream: Cook some chopped bacon, prosciutto or pancetta in a bit of olive oil over medium-low heat until nearly crisp. Stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream and a lot of pepper. Let the cream thicken slightly before adding the gnocchi.

RICOTTA GNOCCHI WITH TOMATO, MUSHROOM AND PANCETTA SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. In batches, add the mushrooms in a single layer and cook until the moisture releases, 5 to 6 minutes. Sprinkle with kosher salt to taste. Flip the mushrooms and add a drizzle of olive oil and continue cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the pan and repeat with the remaining mushrooms. Remove the final batch of mushrooms from the pan and add the guanciale and a drizzle of olive oil. Reduce the heat to low and cook until golden brown and crispy, 5 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the guanciale and set aside, but keep the fat in the pan. Add the onions, red pepper flakes and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium-high heat until translucent, 5 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes. Add in the cooked mushrooms.
• To a large bowl, add the ricotta, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan and 1/2 cup grated pecorino and mix to combine. Stir in the flour and eggs and mix until the dough comes together. It shouldn't be too wet. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface that's dusted with flour. Gently knead the dough, adding flour until it's no longer sticky and form it into a log. Sprinkle some flour onto a half sheet tray. Cut a small portion from the log of dough with a bench scraper and roll the dough into a long snake shape. Cut the dough into 1/2-inch pieces and toss in flour. Place them on the prepared sheet tray in a single layer.
• Set up a large pot of boiling water and season generously with salt. Add the gnocchi and cook until they're puffy and rise to the top of the water, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the gnocchi and place directly into the sauce. Add a ladle of pasta water and toss to combine. Add in most of the crispy guanciale (leave some extra for garnish) and the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan and 2 tablespoons of pecorino. Add a nice big fat drizzle of finishing oil and toss to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the remaining crispy guanciale, more Parmesan, pecorino and the chives.

GNOCCHI AND TOMATO PANCETTA SAUCE

Steps:

• Boil the potatoes until fork tender (not mushy). As soon as they are done, remove from the water and place in a dish. Remove the skin from the potatoes using a sharp knife or fork. Cut the potatoes into pieces and process the peeled, hot potatoes through a food mill using the medium disk.
• Place a mound of flour, about 2 1/2 cups to start, on your work surface (a floured board). Place all of the processed potatoes on top of the flour. Knead the flour/potato mixture with your hands until the dough is smooth; free of lumps, but yet still a little sticky. This recipe does not lend itself to making the dough in the food processor or mixer. Keep adding flour as necessary to obtain the desired consistency. The amount of the flour needed depends on how much water is in the potatoes, the moisture in the air, etc. Sometimes it can take up to 4 cups to obtain the right consistency. Keep kneading until it is right.
• After kneading the dough, place it under a dry kitchen towel to keep it warm. Immediately start making the gnocchi. This dough must be used right away. Cut a small piece off of the dough. Roll the piece into a "log" that is approximately 12 to 16 inches long. The log should be about 1/2-inch in diameter. You do not want it too wide or the gnocchi get too "fat." Cut the "log" into pieces about 1-inch long. You will end up with about 12 to16 gnocchi per log. The next step is to form the gnocchi.
• Take a fork in your left hand (if you are right handed), and hold it straight up with the tines facing towards the ceiling. With your index finger of your right hand, take 1 piece of gnocchi (the 1-inch pieces that you cut above), and starting at the top of the fork, roll the piece down the inside tine of the fork. This should be done with firm pressure (not too firm as to smash the gnocchi, but firm enough to roll the piece down the fork and leave an indentation on the gnocchi). When you get to the base of the tines, release the gnocchi and let it drop to a floured tray. The "completed" gnocchi should be marked with the fork tines on 1 side of it and have a slight indentation from your index finger on the other side of it. This shape and marking allow the pasta to "catch" the sauce when you serve it.
• Proceed with all of the dough and make each piece as directed. This goes very fast once you get the hang of it. Let the pasta sit on the floured trays on you counter until ready to serve. However, serving time should be within 4 to 5 hours of making the gnocchi. Otherwise they will dry out and get tough.
• To serve, boil the gnocchi in lots of boiling, salted water. As soon as the pasta rises to the top, it is done. (This is also very quick). Drain the cooked gnocchi in a colander or strainer. Place the cooked pasta in a serving platter and top/mix with the sauce.
• Heat olive oil in saucepan over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add the chopped pancetta, red pepper flakes and parsley. Cook until the pancetta is cooked through and is slightly brown. Add the garlic; cook for another 2 minutes.
• Process the tomatoes with their juice in the food processor. Pulse the tomatoes briefly until they are coarsely chopped. You do not want them to puree. Add to the cooked ingredients in the saucepan. Add salt to taste. Continue cooking on a low simmer for about 1 hour until the sauce has reduced and is somewhat thicker. You can keep cooking this for up to 3 hours. The longer you cook it, the thicker and richer it becomes. If you cook it too long, add water to reduce the thickness and you reach the desired consistency.