I could eat pasta every meal of every day and never get sick of it. I think that qualifies me as a true pasta lover. But, as much as I love pasta, I haven’t spent a lot of time making it from scratch. It is, however, surprisingly simple to do and I have big plans to make tons of pasta this summer. I also have big plans to reinstate my workout “routine” this summer 😉 I guess it’s not “routine” if you skip months at a time, but what’s a girl to do? Hopefully, experimenting with pasta will give me the motivation I need. You will see that this gnocchi dish has cheese, cheese, cream, and more cheese. So, I recommend that you indulge sparingly and offer it as a side to your entrée, if you care about things like calories and fat. I know not everyone does and I, by no means, want to be accused of pushing a low-fat, low-calorie, low-carb, healthy lifestyle on anyone 🙂 Seriously, I do believe that making healthy choices is imperative, but I also believe in living and enjoying life. I have no desire to jump out of airplanes or climb Mount Kilimanjaro (a very gutsy friend of mine did that this year), but I get exhilarated by eating and cooking good food. So, everything in moderation and enjoy! After you taste this sauce, you will feel like you went skydiving over Italy and landed in a lake of smooth creamy Asiago and Parmesan layered with the delicate sweet oniony flavor of sautéed leeks.
Gnocchi Di Patate – Potato Gnocchi
I fell in love with gnocchi a long time ago. I don’t remember the first time that I had it, but it was described to me then as potato-filled pasta dumplings. Really, gnocchi is not “filled” with potato, but the pasta is actually made from potatoes and a bit of flour. I have seen gnocchi lovingly described as “petite potato pillows,” which I think is a fitting description of how it looks, although gnocchi is pretty hearty and you won’t feel like you ate pillows when you are done! If you look up how to pronounce gnocchi, the dictionary will say “nok-ee or noh-kee; Italian nyawk-kee,” which seems to be an indication that we Americans aren’t expected to get the pronunciation quite right 😦 Nonetheless, don’t be discouraged from trying to make gnocchi. It is pretty simple and delicious. And keep practicing…pretty soon nyawk-kee will roll off your tongue 😉
Ingredients
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1 1/2 pounds Russet potatoes, washed and dried
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3/4 cup or 3 oz to start All-purpose flour, adjust with additional flour as needed to get proper texture dough
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2 Eggs
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2 oz Butter, melted
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1/2 cup or 2 oz Parmesan cheese, grated
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Salt & white pepper to taste
Method
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Preheat oven to 400°F
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Use a fork to make vent holes in the potatoes. Bake potatoes in oven until tender. Check the potatoes after 25 minutes to determine if tender by sticking a knife into potato. Baking may take up to 45 minutes.
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While potatoes are in the oven be sure to scale out and prep all additional ingredients for the gnocchi. Potatoes absorb flavors and seasonings optimally while they are warm, so having everything ready before the potatoes come out of the oven will ensure your best results.
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Once potatoes are done baking, peel them carefully and pass them through a food mill or ricer while they are still warm. If you do not have a food mill or ricer you can use alternatives:
- Food processor/Sieve Combination: You can process the potatoes in the food processor until almost smooth and then press the potatoes through a fine mesh strainer or sieve using a spatula or the back of a large spoon.
- Cheese grater/Hand Mixer Combination: You can grate the cooked potatoes with a box grater and puree them using an electric hand mixer or whisk. See: Alternatives to Food Mills | eHow.com.
- While still warm, mix in the flour, egg, butter, Parmesan cheese, and about 1/2 teaspoon of salt until a dough is formed. After mixing, you may need to adjust the amount of flour in order to achieve a smooth, slightly sticky dough that you can form into ropes and cut. Adjust salt and white pepper to taste.
- Separate the dough into two rolls about 1/2 inch thick on a lightly floured surface and cut the dough into 1/2 inch pieces.
- Press the tines of a fork slightly into each piece to make small ridges in the dumplings. These ridges will allow the pasta to hold onto the incredible sauce you are about to make. See alternative ways of dimpling the gnocchi below:
- Place the gnocchi on a sheet pan lined with parchment or wax paper and dusted with flour.
- Prepare the sauce first and then cook gnocchi.
- Cook gnocchi in boiling salted water. Be sure to salt your water after it starts boiling to protect your pot from dimpling. Cook the gnocchi for 2-3 minutes after they rise to the surface. Drain well.
Salsa Di Parmesan Reggiano E Porie – Asiago Parmesan Cream Sauce with Leeks
This sauce is amazing, very creamy, and super simple. The leeks do add a subtle and sweet oniony flavor to complement the strong flavors of Asiago and Parmesan.
Ingredients
- 1 cup or 4 oz Asiago cheese, grated
- 1/2 cup or 2 oz Parmesan cheese, grated
- 4 oz Heavy cream
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 4 oz Leek, white and light green part only, julienned
Method
- Julienne the leeks by cutting the leek into 2 inch sections, cutting the sections in half lengthwise, and then cutting 1/8 inch julienned strips.
- Heat olive oil in a sauté pan and sauté leeks until they are translucent.
- Melt Asiago and Parmesan cheese together with cream over medium heat, stirring to prevent the mixture from burning. Stir over heat until the cheese is completely melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Add the sautéed leeks to the cheese sauce and pour sauce over the gnocchi.
This recipe should serve four as an entrée or more as a side dish. This dish got rave reviews from my classmates and a resounding “you put both feet in this one!” I promise you that you will love it! Buon appetito!
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