To me, it is the quintessential pasta. Oddly shaped pasta, dumpling-like, tender ovals of love. You don’t need any special flour to make it. You don’t need a special machine or an old world Grandma.
It is simplicity at it’s best. It is the perfect Urban Pasta.
It can be made from potatoes, (and most commonly is) squash, semolina, or ricotta.
An over abundance of flavors can also be added. The minds imagination is truly the limit.
Not surprisingly, a lot of people are afraid to make their own little dumplings of joy. As are many of the worlds most simplistic creations feared, so is the Gnocchi.
Luckily, I have an in-home Executive Chef who just so happened to study his craft in Italy, the home of the wondrous Gnocchi.
He gets a lot of calls requesting Cooking Classes for this little 8th Wonder of the World. In being so, he spends a lot of time developing new and exciting recipes for the heavenly Gnocchi.
So, today, while he is away in his kitchen, I have stolen one of his scrumptious Gnocchi recipes to share with all of you.
Make this for Valentine’s Day instead of waiting over an hour for a table at an over priced, mediocre restaurant. Trust me, you will be very happy.
Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Wild Mushrooms and Gorgonzola Cream
By: Chef Greg Baker
Serves 4 as an entree
1 tsp kosher salt
2 ea Russet Potatoes (1 ½ lbs)
1 ea Sweet Potato (1 lb)
2 ea egg yolks
1 ½ Cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 Cups heavy cream
2 oz gorgonzola cheese
1 tsp fresh basil
2 ounces wild mushrooms, sliced
4 ounces Portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 ea shallot, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper
To make the gnocchi:
Bake the russet and sweet potatoes in a 400-degree oven for 1 hour, or until fork tender
Cool and peel the potatoes
Place the potatoes in a bowl and mash well with a potato masher or mixer
Using a spoon or rubber spatula, force the potato mixture through a mesh strainer to remove lumps
Mix the flour and egg yolks with the potato mixture and work into a smooth dough (this may take a little more, or less flour)
Bring 1 gallon of water with the kosher salt to a boil
Take about ¼ of the dough and roll into a 1” thick rope on a floured cutting board
Cut the rope into 1” slices to form the gnocchi
Drop the gnocchi into the boiling water and cook until the gnocchi float
Remove the gnocchi and place in a bowl of cold water
Repeat this until the dough is all formed into gnocchi
Add the butter to a large skillet over medium heat
Return the gnocchi to the boiling water, when they float again, drain
Add the gnocchi to the skillet and sauté over medium heat, allowing the gnocchi to brown slightly
For the cream sauce:
Add the heavy cream to a saucepan over medium high heat
Allow the cream to boil, being careful not to let it boil over, until the volume is reduced by ½ and the cream is a sauce-like consistency
Whisk in the Gorgonzola
Add the fresh basil, and add salt and pepper to taste
For the mushrooms:
Heat a sauté pan with the olive oil over medium heat
Add the shallots and mushrooms, and sauté until tender
Season with salt and pepper
To finish:
Toss the gnocchi with the wild mushrooms and drizzle with the Gorgonzola cream to your liking. (This is quite rich, so start with a small amount of the Gorgonzola cream and work up from there)
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