Nannas Gnocchi Recipe Foodcom Recipes

NANA'S SPINACH GNOCCHI

Steps:

• In a large pot, add 3 Tablespoons salt to 5 quarts of water, bring to a boil.
• Place spinach, potatoes, egg yolks, Parmesan cheese, salt and four in a large bowl, use a wooden spoon or spatula to mix ingredients together to form a dough.
• On a floured board, roll dough into long, finger-thin ropes.
• Cut ropes into pieces about 1-2 inches long.
• Flatten each piece gently with thumb and bring long sides together to form a hollow tube or shell shape.
• After shaping all the dough, place about 20 gnocchi into a large pot of boiling, salted water.
• When they rise to the surface, remove them from the pot with a strainer.
• Place in a heated bowl.
• Keep water at a hard, rolling boil and continue cooking the gnocchi (20 at a time) until all are cooked.
• Toss with butter and grated Parmesan cheese or your favorite sauce and serve.

NANA'S RICOTTA GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Combine flour, salt and ricotta; mix thoroughly.
• Knead dough on lightly floured board until dough is smooth.
• Set dough aside on corned of floured board.
• Cut small pieces from dough and quickly roll dough into a "finger thin" roll, and cut into pieces about 1/2 inch long.
• Flatten each piece gently with thumb and bring long sides together to form a hollow tube or shell shape.
• Arrange the gnocchi on a lightly floured cloth or board, dust them lightly with flour.
• After shaping all the dough, gently drop the gnocchi into a large pot of boiling, salted water.
• Cook them about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
• When they rise to the surface, remove them from the pot with a strainer.
• Place in a heated bowl.
• Serve with your favorite pasta sauce and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.

NANNA'S GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Place mashed potatoes, flour, egg, nutmeg and salt& pepper in a bowl.
• Knead lightly with your fingertips to make a firm but soft dough.
• Divide dough into 4 even-sized pieces and then roll into long sausage shapes on a lightly floured surface.
• Cut the rolls into small 1 inch pieces.
• Press each piece over the back of a fork, pressing lightly with 2 fingers.
• Bring a large pot of salted boiling water to simmering point.
• Drop six to eight gnocchi in water and simmer for 3- 4 minutes, or until they rise to the surface.
• Remove with a slotted spoon.
• Serve with your favourite pasta sauce and parmesan cheese.

GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Place the potatoes in a large pot with enough cold water to cover. Bring the water to a boil and cook, partially covered, until the potatoes are easily pierced with a skewer but the skins are not split, about 35 minutes. (Alternatively, the potatoes can be baked in a preheated 400°F oven until tender, about 40 minutes.).
• Drain the potatoes and let them stand just until cool enough to handle. (The hotter the potatoes are when they are peeled and riced, the lighter the gnocchi will be.) Working quickly and protecting the hand that holds the potatoes with a folded kitchen towel or oven mitt, scrape the skin from the potato with a paring knife. Press the peeled potatoes through a potato ricer. Alternatively, the potatoes can be passed through a food mill fitted with the fine disc, but a ricer makes fluffier potatoes and therefore lighter gnocchi. Spread the riced potatoes into a thin, even layer on the work surface, without pressing them or compacting them. Let them cool completely.
• In a small bowl, beat the egg, salt, pepper, and nutmeg together. Gather the cold potatoes into a mound and form a well in the center. Pour the egg mixture into the well. Knead the potato and egg mixtures together with both hands, gradually adding the grated cheese and enough of the flour, about 1 1/2 cups, to form a smooth but slightly sticky dough. It should take no longer than 3 minutes to work the flour into the potato mixture; remember, the longer the dough is kneaded, the more flour it will require and the heavier it will become. As you knead the dough, it will stick to your hands and to the work surface: Repeatedly rub this rough dough from your hands and scrape it with a knife or dough scraper from the work surface back into the dough as you knead.
• Wash and dry your hands. Dust the dough, your hands, and the work surface lightly with some of the remaining flour. Cut the dough into six equal pieces and set off to one side of the work surface. Place one piece of dough in front of you and pat it into a rough oblong. Using both hands, in a smooth back-and-forth motion and exerting light downward pressure, roll the dough into a rope 1/2 inch thick, flouring the dough if necessary as you roll to keep it from sticking. (When you first begin making gnocchi, until your hands get the feel of the dough, you may find it easier to cut each piece of dough in half to roll it.).
• Slice the ropes into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Sprinkle the rounds lightly with flour and roll each piece quickly between your palms into a rough ball, flouring the dough and your hands as needed to prevent sticking. Hold the tines of a fork at a 45-degree angle to the table with the concave part facing up. Dip the tip of your thumb in flour. Take one ball of dough and with the tip of your thumb, press the dough lightly against the tines of the fork as you roll it downward toward the tips of the tines. As the dough wraps around the tip of your thumb, it will form into a dumpling with a deep indentation on one side and a ridged surface on the other. Set on a baking sheet lined with a floured kitchen towel and continue forming gnocchi from the remaining dough balls. Repeat the whole process with the remaining pieces of dough. At this point the gnocchi must be cooked immediately or frozen.
• To cook gnocchi:Bring six quarts of salted water to a vigorous boil in a large pot over high heat. Drop about half the gnocchi into the boiling water a few at a time, stirring gently and continuously with a wooden spoon. Cook the gnocchi, stirring gently, until tender, about 1 minute after they rise to the surface. (You can cook the gnocchi all at once in two separate pots of boiling water. If you make a double batch of gnocchi, I strongly recommend cooking them in batches in two pots of water.)
• Remove the gnocchi from the water with a slotted spoon of skimmer, draining them well, and transfer to a wide saucepan with some of the sauce to be used. Cook the remaining gnocchi, if necessary. When all the gnocchi are cooked, proceed according to the directions for saucing and serving in each recipe.
• When saucing gnocchi, remember this tip: If the sauce is too dense or the gnocchi seem too dry, use some of the gnocchi cooking water to thin the sauce and moisten the gnocchi, as you would with pasta dishes.
• To precook gnocchi:Cook the gnocchi as described above, remove them with a skimmer, and spread them out in a baking pan lightly coated with melted butter. When ready to serve, return the gnocchi to a large pot of boiling salted water until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain thoroughly and sauce and serve according to the particular recipe.
• To freeze gnocchi:It is best to freeze gnocchi uncooked as soon as they are shaped. Arrange the gnocchi in a single layer on a baking pan and place the pan in a level position in the freezer. Freeze until solid, about 3 hours. Gather the frozen gnocchi into resealable freezer bags. Frozen gnocchi can be stored in the freezer for 4 to 6 weeks.
• To cook frozen gnocchi:Frozen gnocchi must be cooked directly from the freezer in plenty of boiling water, or they will stick together. Bring 6 quarts salted water to a boil in each of two large pots. Shake any excess flour from the frozen gnocchi and split them between the two pots, stirring gently as you add them to the boiling water. It is important that the water return to a boil as soon as possible; cover the pots if necessary. Drain the gnocchi as described above and sauce and serve according to the specific recipe.

GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Peel potatoes and add to pot. Cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool and mash with a fork or potato masher.
• Combine 1 cup mashed potato, flour and egg in a large bowl. Knead until dough forms a ball. Shape small portions of the dough into long "snakes". On a floured surface, cut snakes into half-inch pieces.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Drop in gnocchi and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until gnocchi have risen to the top; drain and serve.

POTATO GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Peel the potatoes and chop into equal-sized chunks. Lay a large sheet of kitchen foil on your work surface, pile the potatoes into the middle and arrange the bay leaves on top, if using. Fold the foil over the potatoes, then fold the edges in to seal and create a parcel. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 1 hr-1 hr 15 mins until the potatoes are tender. Or, tip into a heatproof bowl, cover (do not use foil) and cook in the microwave for 10 mins on high. If still firm, microwave in 5-min bursts until tender. While the potatoes are still hot, pass them through a ricer or push through a sieve onto a tray and cool completely. Will keep chilled for up to two days before using.
• Scatter the flour, 10g of cheese, ½ tsp salt and a grating of nutmeg over the potatoes on the tray, then gently tip the egg yolks on top. Gently bring everything together with your hands until you have a uniform dough that resembles crumbly pastry. Knead for about a minute until it just comes together, but don't overwork it. Divide the dough into four pieces and roll each one out into a long, finger-thick sausage on a lightly floured surface. Cut each sausage into 1.5-2cm nuggets. The gnocchi can now be cooked, or you can create ridges on them by rolling them over the back of a fork, grater or sushi mat. Arrange the gnocchi in a single layer on the tray. Will keep frozen for up to three months. First, freeze on the tray until solid, then portion into food bags.
• Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil. If cooking all the gnocchi at once, you'll need to do this in three batches, cooking each batch for 2 mins, or until they rise to the surface. (You can also cook them for 3-5 mins from frozen.) Remove to a colander using a slotted spoon. Reserve 150ml of the cooking water, discarding the rest. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat with about ½ tsp cracked black pepper and sizzle until the butter turns a nutty brown. Toss through the gnocchi, remaining cheese and about half of the reserved cooking water, then turn up the heat slightly and toss until the gnocchi is well-coated in a thick, cheesy sauce. You may need to add a little more of the cooking water to loosen. Serve the gnocchi straightaway in warm bowls.