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Special Diet Information

Coumadin® (Warfarin)
This recipe is safe for Coumadin (warfarin) users.

Lactose
This recipe is safe for those who are lactose intolerant.

Sodium
This is a low sodium recipe.

GERD / Acid Reflux
No specific GERD triggers.

Gluten Sensitivity
This recipe is NOT safe for those who are sensitive to gluten. (Here's our recipe for Gluten Free Gnocchi.)

 

"My mouth watered as I carried the gnocchi up to the dining room. I'd tasted one dumpling in the kitchen, and I loved the earthy flavor as well as the way it resisted when I sank my teeth in. The butter and sage coated my mouth so that the taste lasted even after I swallowed. I liked the way it felt in my stomach, solid and nourishing, and I looked forward to learning how to make it." - Elle Newmark, The Book of Unholy Mischief

The refrigerator light goes on...

There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of gnocchi recipes. The basic recipe uses cooked potatoes, combined with flour and egg. While they are a form of pasta and share ingredients, gnocchi are a pasta unto themselves - soft and pillowy, with a bit of flavor of their own but a vehicle for sauces. There are recipes that contain all different ingredients from mushrooms to cheese to pesto but even with those flavors they are best as the supporting act for pesto, pomodoro, Alfredo or other sauce.

Making gnocchi is great fun, and with a bit of practice, you can create light fluffy pillows to swim in your sauces. Here are a few tips:

1. Don't overcook the potatoes. They should be just cooked to the point that a paring knife slips in easily but not so much that the potatoes fall apart.

2. Mix the potatoes, flour and egg just to the point that they are blended and smooth. Over mixing will make the gnocchi pasty. 

3. Do not allow the water to boil when you are cooking because the agitation may break up the gnocchi before they have time to cook.

4. Get your sauce ready in advance because they only take a few moments to cook. The minute they float to the top of the water they are pretty much done and cooking them for much more than about 30 seconds longer will make them overdone.


 

Gnocchi

Servings: 2 | Serving size: 10 gnocchi

Cooking Time: 45 Minutes

This recipe can easily be multiplied by 2. Leftovers are fair at best. I have kept the gnocchi refrigerated overnight, but they are not as good as when fresh.

Serve with one of the following sauces:
Fettuccine Alfredo or
Basil Pesto or
Arugula Pesto or
Vodka Cream Sauce or
Tomato Sauce
and a vegetable side dish or salad of your choice.

Gnocchi with Basil Pesto recipe from Dr. Gourmet

Ingredients

  • 10 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes
  • 6 Tbsp all purpose white flour
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
  • 4 quarts water

Peel the potatoes, rinse and cut into 1-inch cubes.

Place a steamer basket in a large sauce pan.

Add about 1 1/2 cups water and set the pan over high heat.

Steam the cubed potatoes until very tender (about 20 minutes).

Remove the steamer basket and allow the potatoes to cool until they are no more than warm to the touch.

Force all of the steamed potatoes through a potato ricer into a large mixing bowl. (If you don't have a potato ricer, the potatoes must be chopped until there are no lumps. Do not over mash them or the gnocchi will be pasty.)

Add 3 tablespoons of the flour to the potatoes with the egg, salt, nutmeg and black pepper.

Mix together using a fork. The mixture will take on a crumbly consistency.

Add 2 tablespoons of the remaining flour and blend well.

Knead the dough gently until all the flour is blended in. Stop kneading when the flour is incorporated.

After the dough is smooth, cut it into 2 equal pieces.

Place one tablespoon of flour on a cutting board and roll each piece of dough into a rope about as big around as your thumb.

Cut the ropes in 1/2 inch pieces (about ten per roll) and then roll the dumpling over the tines of a fork to shape the ridges of the gnocchi.

Place the water in a large saucepan over high heat. When the water boils, reduce the heat to a simmer.

Add the gnocchi no more than 2 servings at a time (20 gnocchi).

As they float to the top of the water, they are done.

Remove them and add to prepared sauce.

Nutrition Facts

Serving size: 10 gnocchi

Servings: 2

Amount Per Serving

Calories 220 Calories from Fat 0
% Daily Value
Total Fat 3g 4%
    Saturated Fat 1g 5%
    Monounsaturated Fat 1g
    Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 95mg 31%
Sodium 350mg 15%
Total Carbohydrates 40g 15%
    Dietary Fiber 4g 15%
    Sugars 2g
Protein 8g
Vitamin A 4% Vitamin C 14%
Calcium 2% Iron 13%
Vitamin K 3mcg Potassium 600mg