Potato Gnocchi With Pancetta Peas And Sage Recipes

GNOCCHI WITH BROWN BUTTER, CRISPY PANCETTA, AND SAGE

Steps:

• Heat a large pot of water on high until it begins to boil. Generously salt the water. Cook gnocchi according to package instructions.
• While gnocchi is cooking, cook pancetta or bacon until crispy.
• In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. After several minutes, add the sage leaves. Cook until the sage is crispy and the butter starts to turn a golden brown color -- about 3-4 minutes.
• Drain the gnocchi and add it to the skillet. Toss to coat with butter sauce. Add pancetta (or bacon).
• Add parmesan cheese.
• Toss and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve with crispy sage leaves and shaved parmesan cheese as garnish.

POTATO GNOCCHI WITH PANCETTA, PEAS AND SAGE

Steps:

• To make the gnocchi:.
• Wash and dry the potatoes. Slit each one or prick with a fork. Place in a 375 degree oven and bake for approximately 1 hour or until tender all the way through.
• Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel the skin and run the potatoes through a food mill or potato ricer onto a baking sheet. Place in the refrigerator until the potatoes are cold.
• Put the riced potatoes on a floured flat working surface. Sprinkle the salt, the cheese and about 1 cup of the flour over the potatoes. Create a well in the potatoes and add the beaten egg.
• Begin mixing the ingredients together with your hands and kneading the dough lightly. Add more flour if the dough is too sticky but be careful not to add too much flour or knead the dough too much. This will make the gnocchi very heavy and tough. (You can test out your dough by boiling a little water and dropping some of your dough into it to cook. If they fall apart you will need to add more flour. If they are heavy and tough, then you have added too much flour.).
• Cut off pieces of dough and roll them out with your hands into ropes about the diameter of your thumb. Then cut the ropes into about 1 inch pieces. You can also roll each gnocchi over the back of a fork to create ridges if desired.
• Put gnocchi on a baking sheet with plenty of flour to keep them from sticking to each other and the pan.
• To make the sauce:.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the pancetta. Cook until crisp.
• Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds then add the sage. Cook another 30 seconds.
• Add the chicken broth and peas and cook over medium high heat until the liquid is reduced by half.
• Lower the heat to low and add the butter and cook until melted and the sauce is slightly thickened.
• Cook the gnocchi in boiling water. They will rise to the surface when they are done. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and let drain. Add them to the sauce and gently stir together.
• Serve with additional cheese at the table.

GREEN GNOCCHI WITH PEAS AND FRESH SAGE BUTTER

Steps:

• Bake the potatoes in their skins until tender when probed with a paring knife, about 40 minutes. (Potatoes may also be boiled in their skins, then removed from the pot and slashed to release steam.) Peel the potatoes while still warm, discard the peels and weigh the flesh; you want exactly 1 pound. Force the potatoes through a ricer, food mill or medium-meshed sieve into a mixing bowl.
• Add 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup parsley, pecorino, nutmeg, pepper and salt. Mix with fingers to form a mass, then knead very briefly to make a smooth ball, just one minute or so. Be careful not to overwork the dough or the gnocchi will be tough. Make a couple of preliminary half-inch ovals and boil in well-salted water to check the texture. Let them bob to the surface and cook for about 1 minute. If they hold their shape, proceed to the next step, otherwise add a little more flour to the dough. It may require a full cup of flour.
• Divide the dough into 4 pieces. On a clean counter or cutting board, roll the dough pieces into footlong logs, approximately 1 inch thick, dusting with additional flour as necessary. Cut each log into 18 to 20 gnocchi. If desired, roll each of the gnocchi over the tines of a fork to make the traditional ridged oval shape (otherwise, random small pillow shapes are fine).
• Sprinkle a baking sheet liberally with flour and line up the gnocchi in one layer, making sure they don't touch. Now sprinkle flour lightly over the top of the gnocchi and leave at room temperature, uncovered, until ready to cook. Fill a large, wide pasta pot with water. Add salt liberally and bring to a rapid boil.
• Put 2 cups of water in a small saucepan for cooking the peas and bring to a brisk simmer. Cook the peas briefly until just done, then drain. Melt the butter in a wide deep skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and sage leaves and let them sizzle without browning, then turn off the heat.
• Add the gnocchi one by one to the boiling water. Carefully stir as the gnocchi begin to bob to the surface. You may do this in batches if your burner is not strong enough to maintain a rapid simmer. Cook for 60 to 90 seconds, until tender (semolina gnocchi will take about 2 minutes), then transfer cooked gnocchi to the butter sauce using a wide skimmer.
• Add the cooked peas and a little salt and pepper and gently toss everything together with a large spoon. Pour into a warm low-sided ovenproof serving vessel. If desired, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Parmesan and run under the broiler till lightly browned. Garnish with the chopped parsley and scallions. Serve with plenty of grated Parmesan, and spoon some of the sage butter over each portion. Pass the pepper mill.