9 September, 2013

G for Gnocchi

Posted in : Basil, Blogging Marathon, Butter, Cheese, Cook Book Series, Garlic, Marjoram, Olive oil, Pasta, Red Chillies, Tomatoes, whole wheat flour on September 9, 2013 by : ArchanaPotdar Tags: Blogging Marathon, Gnocchi, Italian Cuisine, Pasta, Potatoes

 Gnocchi is delicious pasta made fresh with either from potatoes or choux dough. I have made mine from potatoes and absolutely no eggs. Served with New York Style Pizza Sauce it was yummy.

When I mention I am making pasta my girls are all help.

So when I said I am making “Gnocchi” (pronounced as nooyokhi) they were a bit unsure about the outcome. For they had “never heard of it” but they let me watch the rolling of the pasta on the U-Tube (I did not roll it in the way it’s required is a different matter) and came down to help of course.

I had some time ago picked up the book on Pasta from the library and copied the recipes and this pasta is adapted from there.

 Now for changes in the recipe 

I made it from potatoes and whole wheat flour, you can add 2 eggs to the potatoes if you want, but I did not and was quite pleased with the results.  Also, the original recipe called for ½  a bunch of fresh marjoram I used a tsp of dried one, the 100 grams of butter was reduced to 50 grams.

 

So here’s presenting

GNOCCHI

Serves 6

Prep time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients: 

For the dough:

• 1 kg  potatoes

• 2 cups/ 250g whole wheat flour

• 1 tsp /5g salt

• ½ tsp of  marjoram

• 3 ½ tblspn/50g  butter

• freshly grated parmesan

For the sauce:

• 2 ½ cups whole tomatoes or 3 big ones
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons garlic cloves, grated
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Pinch red chilli flakes
• Salt
• 2 six inch springs fresh basil with leaves attached
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped roughly

Method:

Make the sauce first:

•  Process tomatoes and their juice in the blender or with the hand mixer until pureed to a coarse mixture no chunks larger than 1/16 of an inch. Set tomatoes aside.
•  Combine butter and oil in medium saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until butter is melted.
•  Add garlic, oregano, chilli flakes, and large pinch salt and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant but not browned, about 3 minutes.
•  Add tomatoes, basil sprigs, onion halves, and sugar. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to lowest setting (bubbles should barely be breaking the surface), and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by 1/2, about 1 hour.
•  Season to taste with salt.

Now, let’s make the gnocchi:

• Boil the potatoes until soft. Peel.

• Traditionally you rice the potatoes i.e. press the still hot potatoes through a coarse sieve on a lightly floured surface.  I grated them using the finer grater. Cool.

•  Gradually mix the potatoes with the flour till you get a smooth homogeneous dough.  (It should not stick to your fingers).

• Shape the dough into a flattened hemisphere.

• Cut the dough into approx ½ in wide slices, then into strips of ½ in.

• These strips work them into rolls on a flour coated surface. Cut them in small pieces 1/2 inch long.

• Now shape the gnocchi.  There are 2 ways on the back of the prongs of a fork roll the ball off the fork it should be press into shape an oblong or b) shape in the dough in your hand with a little spoon. Do check the Utube for I feel my explanation is not clear.

• Lay the prepared gnocchi next to one another on flour covered paper towels. Set aside for 15 min.

• Boil the gnocchi boil 2 litres 8 cups of water salted. Gradually pour the gnocchi into the water and cook for 4 minutes on low heat.

• Stir carefully from time to time to prevent sticking. As soon as they rise to surface removed with a slotted spoon. Drain well.

• In case you are serving the gnocchi with herbs then sauté the herbs lightly in hot butter and pour over the gnocchi serve with plenty of grated parmesan. But if like me you are serving them in tomato sauce once you drain the gnocchi.  Stir the gnocchi and serve with grated parmesan.

This is a part of the Blogging Marathon we are running and this time for the entire September we have the theme alphabets and if that is not easy this is further sub-divided as  Regional, Street foods, Baked and International. This is my entry for the alphabet  G

Here is what I have been making  here till now

A Aliva che ladoo

B Baked potato

C Chana cho ras

D Drunkard’s Noodles

E Eggless Pancakes

F Fried Eggs

Do check out my other friends in the Marathon here.

 

Hi! First time here?

Well, then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here.

If you are my regular visitor then a big Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my FaceBook page. I will be happy if you can follow me on Twitter too!

Archana

.