Two years ago I had the best ever gnocchi of my life. We were in a small trattoria somewhere in Florence. I took the first bite and I knew that this taste would be hard to top. They were so tender and seemed to melt in your mouth, yet they also had this incredible taste. I was hoping for a never-ending experience when my family realized that whatever I was eating had to be really good and they started to tuck in. So, my plate was empty in next to no time. However, I decided to start my “gnocchi-experiment” as soon as I’d come home, which I did. I browsed the Internet, read various cookbooks and it turned out that there were hundreds of different recipes. Some included eggs, others durum wheat semolina. But then I found a very interesting suggestion. One cook allowed the pressed potatoes to let the steam evaporate in the oven (at very low heat). This brings about this incredibly tender texture. I know, making gnocchi this way takes some time, but I can assure you, the outcome is definitely worth all the effort!
Today you won’t find the traditional, neutral version of gnocchi, but one that includes baby spinach. What’s more, I don’t combine my gnocchi with tomato sauce, as so many other recipes suggest, but simply with butter, walnuts and some fresh spinach. This recipe doesn’t take many ingredients and yet, you have a feeling of eating something special.
If you’d like to keep it vegan, just replace the butter with some walnut oil or some mild sunflower oil.
Gnocchi with Spinach and Walnuts
Serves 4
1 kg (2 pounds) starchy potatoes
100 g (4 ounces) baby spinach
200 g 2 cups, 4 ounces) plain flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons butter
100 g (2/3 cups) walnuts
100 g (4 ounces) baby spinach
some parmesan, coarsely grated
Cook the potatoes, drain and peel them. Using a potato ricer, press the potatoes onto a baking tray. Put it into the oven at 80°C (176°F) and leave the door open. Allow the steam to evaporate for about 30 minutes.
Cook 100 g baby spinach in boiling water for about 3 minutes. Drain and puree the spinach.
Combine flour, salt, potatoes and spinach on a working surface or in a large bowl. Knead until dough forms a ball. Cut into 4 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a long “snake” (about 2 cm (1 inch) diameter) and cut it into 1 cm (1/2 inch) slices. Sprinkle with some flour. You might want to press a pattern into each gnocchi by using a fork. Cook them in simmering water until they rise to the surface. Then drain them.
Melt the butter in a pan and roast the walnuts and the remaining spinach for about 2 minutes. Season with salt.
Serve the gnocchi with the walnuts and spinach. Sprinkle some grated parmesan cheese on top.
If you want to get a vegan dish, replace the butter with some walnut oil or some mild sunflower oil.
Here is the recipe for printing:
- 1 kg (2 pounds) starchy potatoes
- 100 g (4 ounces) baby spinach
- 200 g 2 cups, 4 ounces) plain flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 100 g (2/3 cups) walnuts
- 100 g (4 ounces) baby spinach
- some parmesan, coarsely grated
- Cook the potatoes, drain and peel them. Using a potato ricer, press the potatoes onto a baking tray. Put it into the oven at 80°C (176°F) and leave the door open. Allow the steam to evaporate for about 30 minutes.
- Cook 100 g baby spinach in boiling water for about 3 minutes. Drain and puree the spinach.
- Combine flour, salt, potatoes and spinach on a working surface or in a large bowl. Knead until dough forms a ball. Cut into 4 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a long “snake” (about 2 cm (1 inch) diameter) and cut it into 1 cm (1/2 inch) slices. Sprinkle with some flour. You might want to press a pattern into each gnocchi by using a fork. Cook them in simmering water until they rise to the surface. Then drain them.
- Melt the butter in a pan and roast the walnuts and the remaining spinach for about 2 minutes. Season with salt.
- Serve the gnocchi with the walnuts and spinach. Sprinkle some grated parmesan cheese on top.
- If you want to get a vegan dish, replace the butter with some walnut oil or some mild sunflower oil.
