Description
Kathy Bechtel with a deliciously nutty, rustic dish from Northern Italy.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 pounds baking potatoes, cleaned
- 1 cup buckwheat flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 4 cups arugula
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- Grated Parmegiano Reggiano or grana cheese
Instructions
- Roast the potatoes for 40-50 minutes, or until done. Make sure they are quite tender, as they will not rice properly.
- Let the potatoes cool for a few minutes. As soon as you can handle them cut each potato in half, scoop out the flesh and place it in a ricer. Rice directly onto the counter. Spread out the potatoes over the counter, and allow the potatoes to cool to room temperature
- Add the flour and the salt and mix well. Add the egg, and quickly knead everything together into a sticky dough, working as quickly as possible. The secret to tender, light gnocchi is add as little flour as possible.
- Fill a small pan with water and bring to a boil. You will use this to test the texture of your gnocchi. Take a small piece of dough, about the size of a grape, and drop it into the boiling water. It will cook for about a minute, and then should rise to the surface. Let it cook for one more minute, then remove it from the water. If, rather than sink and then rise, it breaks apart, add a bit more flour to the dough and knead again. Once you get a test one that sinks and then rises without blowing apart, you are ready to move on to the next step. You should have a test gnocchi that is cooked through, but still soft and light.
- Dust the counter with buckwheat flour. Divide the dough into 6 equally sized pieces. Take one of the pieces and place it on the floured counter top. Using the palms of your hands, roll the piece out into a 1/2 inch thick log, which will be about 12 inches long. Cut the log into 1-inch lengths, and place the individual gnocchi onto a sheet pan that has been dusted with flour. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
- Fill a large pot with water, bring to a boil and season with salt. Add the gnocchi to the boiling water in small batches. Once they have risen to the top, allow them to cook for one more minute, then scoop them out with a slotted spoon and lay them on a baking sheet to cool. At this point, they are ready to use in your favorite sauce or baked gnocchi dish.
- Heat the butter in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Keep a careful eye while allowing the butter to melt, and then brown. When the butter is just beginning to turn a golden brown and take on a nutty aroma, add the garlic and arugula, cook for another 30 seconds.
- Ladle the cooked gnocchi into the butter in the saute pan, add the cheese and gently combine. Adjust seasonings and serve immediately.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins