Gnocchi

[Anonymous]

This is an item I don't care to learn how to make. Can anyone recommend any good commercial products? Thanks.

[Anonymous]

I'm curious about this too. I've never come across grocery store gnocchi that wasn't gross. And it seems a lot of restaurants these days that serve what they call gnocchi but look and taste more like they've come out of a play dough extruder.

Friends swear by this place:
http://www.vaceitaliandeli.com/pdf/pastas.pdf

Haven't tried their gnocchi though.

[Anonymous]

Trader joes is ok. Key is to not over boil it and then sautéed in the sauce or just in butter.

[Anonymous]

I am so not trying to be holier than thou... But I don't think you could learn to make anything easier than gnocchi. Just take one of your your favourite starch (potato, butternut squash, sweet potato), roast or boil it till soft. Mash up. Add some salt, pepper, grated cheese. Add flour until dough forms. Knead until smooth. Roll into snakes. I "fork" mine for ridges before I cut because I can't be bothered to do them one at at a time. Then cut into little chunks. Boil some in salted water, freeze the rest. They're maybe not as pretty as the store bought ones, but ten times as tasty and one squash will make at least 2-3 meals worth of gnocchi.
It really doesn't take long if you don't feel the need to make the ultra perfect looking.

Or, the Trader Joe ones are pretty good. Don't overlook is the key.

[Anonymous]

^^ overCook not look

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am so not trying to be holier than thou... But I don't think you could learn to make anything easier than gnocchi. Just take one of your your favourite starch (potato, butternut squash, sweet potato), roast or boil it till soft. Mash up. Add some salt, pepper, grated cheese. Add flour until dough forms. Knead until smooth. Roll into snakes. I "fork" mine for ridges before I cut because I can't be bothered to do them one at at a time. Then cut into little chunks. Boil some in salted water, freeze the rest. They're maybe not as pretty as the store bought ones, but ten times as tasty and one squash will make at least 2-3 meals worth of gnocchi.
It really doesn't take long if you don't feel the need to make the ultra perfect looking.

Or, the Trader Joe ones are pretty good. Don't overlook is the key.

Gnocchi may not necessarily be difficult and/or have many ingredients, but it is time consuming to make. I don't blame OP for wanting a closer to ready made option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am so not trying to be holier than thou... But I don't think you could learn to make anything easier than gnocchi. Just take one of your your favourite starch (potato, butternut squash, sweet potato), roast or boil it till soft. Mash up. Add some salt, pepper, grated cheese. Add flour until dough forms. Knead until smooth. Roll into snakes. I "fork" mine for ridges before I cut because I can't be bothered to do them one at at a time. Then cut into little chunks. Boil some in salted water, freeze the rest. They're maybe not as pretty as the store bought ones, but ten times as tasty and one squash will make at least 2-3 meals worth of gnocchi.
It really doesn't take long if you don't feel the need to make the ultra perfect looking.

Or, the Trader Joe ones are pretty good. Don't overlook is the key.

Gnocchi may not necessarily be difficult and/or have many ingredients, but it is time consuming to make. I don't blame OP for wanting a closer to ready made option.

I get it, but it's not as time consuming as some people think (previously myself included). I don't even measure when I make them. If you are going to hand roll every.single.gnocchi on the fork like a proper Nonna, then yes, it takes forever in today's world. My time saving option is to make a few batches of bastardized ones as above, when I have a 1/2 hour (which is really all it takes), which allows me several batches already made in the freezer. Everyone complains about how awful the shelf stable ones are, and they really are generally terrible. These sat Home made ones may not have all the pretty folds, but they taste much better. In a pinch, I've actually NOT even put on the ridges, so basically had squarish pasta dumplings. No one has complained. They're never gummy, gloppy, and there's only three ingredients : starch, flour, seasoning. Tasty, and faster than you think.

[Anonymous]

PP posting her method, with what would you sauce sweet potato gnocchi? I have some sweet potatoes that need to be cooked up, so may give your method a try, but I'm not sure what to use to sauce them or serve with them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am so not trying to be holier than thou... But I don't think you could learn to make anything easier than gnocchi. Just take one of your your favourite starch (potato, butternut squash, sweet potato), roast or boil it till soft. Mash up. Add some salt, pepper, grated cheese. Add flour until dough forms. Knead until smooth. Roll into snakes. I "fork" mine for ridges before I cut because I can't be bothered to do them one at at a time. Then cut into little chunks. Boil some in salted water, freeze the rest. They're maybe not as pretty as the store bought ones, but ten times as tasty and one squash will make at least 2-3 meals worth of gnocchi.
It really doesn't take long if you don't feel the need to make the ultra perfect looking.

Or, the Trader Joe ones are pretty good. Don't overlook is the key.

OP here. Thanks for your thoughts and recipe. I have a big, honking butternut squash and 3 sweet potatoes sitting on my counter right now. I might just get inspired and try your recipe. Thank you! (And thanks for not scolding me about how I shouldn't be so lazy - blah,blah,blah. I really appreciated your tone

[Anonymous]

My grandmother made hers with ricotta cheese instead of potato and they were delicious?minfact, I think I'm going to try to make them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am so not trying to be holier than thou... But I don't think you could learn to make anything easier than gnocchi. Just take one of your your favourite starch (potato, butternut squash, sweet potato), roast or boil it till soft. Mash up. Add some salt, pepper, grated cheese. Add flour until dough forms. Knead until smooth. Roll into snakes. I "fork" mine for ridges before I cut because I can't be bothered to do them one at at a time. Then cut into little chunks. Boil some in salted water, freeze the rest. They're maybe not as pretty as the store bought ones, but ten times as tasty and one squash will make at least 2-3 meals worth of gnocchi.
It really doesn't take long if you don't feel the need to make the ultra perfect looking.

Or, the Trader Joe ones are pretty good. Don't overlook is the key.

OP here. Thanks for your thoughts and recipe. I have a big, honking butternut squash and 3 sweet potatoes sitting on my counter right now. I might just get inspired and try your recipe. Thank you! (And thanks for not scolding me about how I shouldn't be so lazy - blah,blah,blah. I really appreciated your tone

OP, and thanks for getting my tone. I think PP was taking me as preachy, but heck.. Some things are so easy to make as long as you don't get hung up on details. Gnocchi are so easy and tasty as long as you do t need each one to be uniform and perfectly ridged. I felt the same way as you before, until I learned how to make them... And the difference between homemade and store bought was so drastic I thought "heck.. Why am I not making these?". If you can make a few batches at once, it's really worth it.

One butternut will take around 3-4 cups of flour and makes a pretty substantial batch of gnocchi. You can add sage, rosemary, thyme to the recipe. I always go by my mood and what I have on hand. Again there is NOTHING magical about gnocchi, no matter what the shiny packages would have you believe.

You can also add an egg in with the mushed starch, before you add r flour if you want. Some people think it helps bind better. I don't notice a huge difference either way. Sometimes I add it out of sheer superstition.

pp.. I think everything sweet potato or winter squash goes amazing with sage and brown butter, without fail. I'd probably add a grate of Parmesan and a few prigs of rosemary. If folks In Your home need "more", add a few sliced up hot Italian sausage.

[Anonymous]

PP - What kind of cheese do you usually use? Ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan?

[Anonymous]

I have lactose intolerance and actually use a lactose free Gouda because the texture is smooth and I can get it lactose free. You can really use anything. Sometimes I'll use a few shreds of Parmesan. Ricotta will work great, but you'll need more flour as it so fluid.

The dough you need to end up with is smooth and not sticky, but not hard. I'd suggest for anyone not familiar with dough or who has never made pasta to maybe use a recipe the first few times. I'm not trying to be vague, but my mom hatched me pretty much making bread and such, so I've just learned the feel of dough... But if you've ever see it, you know.

[Anonymous]

PP here who asked about saucing. Sorry to hijack your thread OP!

I made the sweet potato gnocchi. Forgot to add the parm to the dough, and I think my dough was a touch sticky, and my gnocchi aren't pretty nor uniform... but the test batch I cooked up taste really good. I'm going to sauté some mushrooms in butter, then toss the gnocchi with those and some parm and serve over spinach. Will also cook up some sliced Italian sausage. Two questions for next time:

Is there a good method for freezing? I split the extra gnocchi into two ziplock bags... But they're all going to be stuck together when I pull them out of the freezer. I don't think I've ever made fresh pasta before, so no idea how to freeze it. (Or cook it onceI want to use it. do I defrost first?)

Also, randomly: does anyone have a good method for peeling sweet potatoes after steaming that doesn't also remove that first inner layer of the flesh, too? I always run into this problem.

[Anonymous]

I cut, stick on parchment or wax paper on a cookie sheet, stick in the freezer for at least 1/2 hour, the throw in ziploc freezer bags. If you have the time to freeze an hour or more, it works out a little better, but 1/2 hour will buy you enough time that they won't stick if your freezer is cold.