Easy Potato Gnocchi with Garlic Thyme Cream

How can you get all the taste and pleasure of homemade pasta without having to spend all that time rolling out dough? Gnocchi! Gnocchi is a classic Italian potato pasta/dumpling dish that is as light and fluffy as it is warm and comforting. And easy! Did I mention easy yet? There are several recipes for gnocchi floating around out there and many, while seemingly promising, offer nothing more than doughy, dense nuggets as a final product. Well, after learning numerous methods during culinary school, working with chefs and attempting to copy restaurants’ dishes, I think I have cracked the code for making those cravable little pillows that are buttery and crisp on the outside, while soft and downy on the inside.

When I made this dish I was craving some carby comfort food, so I went all out on a garlic thyme cream sauce to drizzle over the gnocchi (I’ll share the recipe at the bottom). Gnocchi however, can be topped with any sauce that you would serve with your favorite pasta: tomato, brown butter, cheese, or any variation of cream sauces all go wonderfully. I’ve even had Canadian Poutine with gnocchi instead of fries. *drool* You can also toss the dumplings in Aglio E Olio sauce to crisp up using my recipe here  http://deliciousdiaita.blogspot.com/2014/08/spaghetti-aglio-e-olio.html

 

*As mentioned, there are a few optional methods when making gnocchi. Generally, the classic pasta method includes baking the potatoes first and making a “well” or “volcano” with riced potatoes and flour, setting the eggs in the center and slowly incorporating flour until the desired texture is met. And while this method obviously works, when I am home (and hungry) in my tiny kitchen, I prefer to be as efficient as possible.  This involves microwaving the potatoes, which I feel leaves them less dry (maybe not what you want for a baked potato dinner, but definitely for gnocchi).  Next, I form the dough in a large bowl instead of on the counter (we will need that space for rolling anyways). While purists may scoff or grimace at my way of doing things, I have yet to make a bad batch of gnocchi while “cutting corners” in this manner. 

Potato Gnocchi

Tools needed:

·         Dinner fork

·         Microwave

·         Large bowl

·         A large fork or potato masher

·         Knife

·         Large pasta pot

·         Pan

Ingredients:

·         1 pound russet potatoes (two medium size)

·         1 teaspoon kosher salt

·         ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

·         1 large room temperature, beaten egg

·         1 ½ cups sifted, All Purpose flour (you may need less or more depending on your dough)

·         2 tablespoons butter

Instructions:

1. Wash and clean the potatoes. Pierce all over with a fork and then microwave until soft ( about ten minutes)

2. Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil while preparing the dough

3. Slice the potatoes in half and scrape all the flesh into a bowl *CAREFUL they are very hot!* and discard the skins (I always try to chop up the vitamin-packed skins and use them in soups to avoid tossing them)

4. Mash the potato well. There shouldn’t be any lumps, but don’t mash too long or else it can get gummy.

5. Once the potato is mashed, stir in the beaten egg, salt and pepper

6. Stir in ¼ cup of the flour until incorporated. Continue stirring in the flour 1/8 cup at a time until a soft, dough ball forms. (This prevents you from loading the dough down with too much flour which can cause them to be too dense)

7. Now you have dough, divide it into 4 pieces. Working with one piece at a time, start in the center and with your hands; slowly and carefully roll the dough out into a rope with a diameter of about ½ inch. Dust your surface with a little flour so the dough doesn’t stick *the dough should be soft so handle with care*

8. Using your knife, start cutting the rope into pieces about one inch long (I always make my gnocchi the size of the middle joint on my finger) and toss the pieces in a little flour if they are still too sticky

9. If you want to create those classic gnocchi- ridges, roll each piece over the prongs of a fork. (You can also use a gnocchi board to roll your gnocchi over but, if you own your own personal gnocchi board, I am assuming you have your own, amazing gnocchi recipe and probably don’t need mine. If you do have a board and are, in fact here to use my recipe, I am flattered)

10. By now your water should be boiling, so working with just a few dumplings at a time, drop the pieces into the water. They will sink to the bottom and will float right back up to the top of the water when they are done.Drain them and lay on a towel to dry a little

 11.After all your gnocchi are cooked, heat the butter in your pan until it starts to sizzle. Add the gnocchi and brown each side (if your butter is hot, this will only take a few seconds per side) 

 

**Try to not devour all the gnocchi like before they make it to the plate, because you are going to want to try this garlic thyme cream sauce I made!**

 

Garlic Thyme Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

·         1 tablespoon butter

·         2 tablespoons minced (finely chopped) garlic (about 2-3 cloves)

·         The zest and juice of half of a lemon

·         4 tablespoons thyme

·         1 ½ cups of heavy cream

·         Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Melt the butter over medium heat

2. Once the butter is hot, add the minced garlic and stir around, coating in the butter

3. As soon as the garlic is aromatic, add the lemon zest, juice and thyme

 4. Give everything a big stir and pour in your cream

5. Let the cream reduce until it coats the back of a spoon (watch your heat, you may need to turn it down to prevent the cream from scorching)

6. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper as needed

*between the gnocchi and cream sauce, this dish is HEAVY! So, I always serve it with a side of  veggies.

 Now *Make it Yours*

I have already pointed out potential sauces for the gnocchi (you can also use any herbs in the cream sauce), but you can also replace some of the potato in the recipe with other vegetables like carrots, beets, parsnips and even leafy greens! Or, you can add a little cream cheese or ricotta for richness.  Just remember, when changing up a recipe, it might take some practice so be patient and keep playing with your food and go make something delicious!