Gnocchi
February 29, 2008 by glutenfreesoxfan
Gnocchi(pronounced /ɲɔkki/; singular “gnocco”) is the Italian name for a variety of dumpling. (The word gnocco is slang for ‘lump’.) They may be made from potato, semolina, ordinary wheat flour, bread crumbs, or other ingredients. Outside Italy, the most popular form is based on potatoes. Classic accompaniments of gnocchi include tomato sauces, pesto, and melted butter with cheese.
Most gnocchi that is made with potato still has wheat flour in it to hold it all together. Therefore, I had to adapt this recipe.
Gnocchi with Butter Thyme Sauce
Recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis
Everyday Italian
Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 (1-pound) russet potato
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg, beaten to blend
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/4 cup gluten-free flour*
1/4 cup shaved Romano cheese
*I used the four flour bean blend that I use in my pasta. It is a combination of garfava bean flour, tapioca starch and corn starch.
Directions:
Cook the butter in a heavy medium skillet over medium heat until it begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the thyme leaves. Set aside.
Pierce the potato all over with a fork. Microwave the potato until tender, turning once, about 12 minutes.
Cut the potato in half and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; discard the skin.
Using a fork, mash the potato well. Mash in the salt and pepper.
Mix in egg and xanthan gum.
Sift the flour over the potato mixture and knead just until blended.
Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces.
Roll each piece between your palms and the work surface into a 1/2-inch-diameter rope (about 20 inches long).
Cut the dough into 1-inch pieces.
Roll each piece of dough over a wooden paddle with ridges or over the tines of a fork to form grooves in the dough.
Cook the gnocchi in a large pot of boiling salted water until the gnocchi rise to the surface, about 1 minute. Continue cooking until the gnocchi are tender, about 4 minutes longer.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the gnocchi to the hot thyme-butter in the skillet. Toss to coat.
Spoon the gnocchi and butter sauce into shallow bowls. Top with the Romano and serve.
By changing the topping, this recipe can be casein free.
I AM SO MAKING THAT!!! It looks so easy (was it as easy as you made it look??) I was just looking at gnocci in our kroger today…. but it had wheat! yay! Go karen! i can’t wait to try this!!
Carrie - It wasn’t hard at all. The first time I made it, it did fall apart when I cooked it. I had to increase the amount of egg and gf flour mix.
But it is much easier than pasta. I saw a link some where with even more detailed pictures. I’ll have to track that down. I think it was on Wikipedia.
Karen
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I can’t wait to try this out - I do love Gnocchi and keep getting annoyed that it is full of wheat flour!!
amber
Ooooh just what I’ve been craving too! Sometimes my Italian roots get the best of me..heh.
Do you think if I made a batch, it will freeze well and just cook them when I’m hankering for some potato love?
Manda - I’ve read that they freeze just fine (uncooked). I would spread them out in a single layer on a cookie sheet to freeze; then once frozen, toss them in a bag or other container. I would then cook them frozen like you would have with frozen ravioli or something similar. Don’t know about cooking time, though.
I’ve been meaning to make a double batch and freezing half. If I do, I’ll let you know how it works.
Karen
Yeah, I’d assume it would work just the same. And in regarding cooking time, I’d probably wait until they reached the surface to classify them as “done”.
I’m thinking of making them next week so if I get to it before you do, I’ll give you a heads up. Thanks Karen.
Finally made them - and they rock! They actually taste better than what my grandmom used to buy because they weren’t so dense and heavy. They do freeze well, however, you have to go from the freezer straight to the pan/pot because the first time I did it, it actually dissolved into the water. The second time, via panfrying, worked perfectly.
Thanks Karen for gratifying my childhood memories. I owe you.
Manda - I’m so glad you like them! I’ll keep that in mind about frozen ones. I have some in the freezer now.
I’m going to try making them with sweet potatoes next. I’m not sure how that will work because I’m not sure how the starch content compares, but I’m always up for experiments.
Karen
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