Kitchen Moxy

Gnocchi pronounced NYOW-kee are Italian dumplings made with flour, eggs, and potatoes. Gnocchi can be served in tomato sauce, tossed with pesto, or sautéed with butter and herbs. Homemade gnocchi are soft and pillowy inside and are far superior to store bought dried gnocchi. Give homemade a try and serve with your favorite sauce.

Recipe for Brown Butter Sage sauce is below, this can be made in advance.

Ingredients

• 1-3/4 to 2 pounds of potatoes, (about 5 medium). Do not peel potatoes. Use starchy potatoes, such as russets or Yukon Gold
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1-1/2 teaspoons of salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg (fresh if possible)
• 1 large egg yolk, beat with a fork (save white for another recipe)
• 1 cup (or more) all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons of butter for sautéing

Process

1. Cover potatoes with at least 1″ of salted water and boil potatoes whole for about 20 – 25 minutes or longer. Potatoes should be fork tender. Transfer to a large bowl. Cool slightly about 10 minutes.
2. When cool enough to handle, peel potatoes and cut into chunks.
3. Mash potatoes until smooth.
4. Mix in Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
5. Add egg yolk and mix until it is blended.
6. Gradually mix in 1 cup of flour. Knead for about 2 minutes until blended and smooth adding more flour by tablespoons if very moist.
7. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
8. Set a large pot of salted water on stove to boil.
9. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces.  Roll 1 piece on lightly floured surface into a 24-inch-long rope.
10. Cut ropes into ¾ inch (2 cm) pieces, then slide each piece on a fork and squeeze a little (but not too hard) to create the traditional ridges. Sprinkle with a little bit of flour and toss, so they don’t stick together. Repeat with remaining dough. Let the gnocchi rest for 20 minutes before boiling. 
11. Melt two tablespoons of butter in a large skillet. Set aside until gnocchi are ready to be sautéed.
12. Spoon cut gnocchi in the large pot of boiling salted water until they float to the surface and cook for 1 minute longer.
13. With a slotted spoon, transfer gnocchi to skillet with melted butter. Sauté all gnocchi over medium-low heat until they begin to brown, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes.
14. Cover with your favorite sauce and serve.

Sage Brown Butter Sauce

Ingredients

• ½ cup of butter
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh sage leaves, see Tip below
• 1-1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel

Process

1. Cook butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat until butter begins to brown. About 4 minutes (do not walk away, this happens fast). Using a spatula, move butter so it browns evenly, should be golden brown. Do not burn the butter.
2. Add sage leaves and lemon peel. Remove from heat.
3. Season with salt and pepper. Set sauce aside until ready to use.

Tip

1. Remove the stems by cutting away the leaves from the stem.
2. Stack the leaves with the largest leaf at the bottom and the smallest at the top. Aligning the stems.
3. Roll the leaves tightly to create a cylinder.
4. Use a sharp knife to slice the rolled leaves into thin ribbons, ensuring even thickness for uniformity. Use immediately.