Rustic Roman Gnocchi with Rosemary Potatoes

This recipe is made in three stages, each in the Dutch oven, and then you mix everything together at the end & serve. This way the juices don't soften the texture of the Gnocchi, and the flavors merge at the end. The potatoes will get a better caramelizing texture is you cook them separately.

Roman style Gnocchi is pan friend, versus the traditional Gnocchi which is cooked by blanching in hot water, similar to how you would cook other pastas.

It’s delicious, & the Gnocchi dough can be made weeks ahead of time (see my recipe here Pumpkin-Potato Gnocchi) & freeze/defrost for later use. The recipe shows the steps to prepare the pumpkin gnocchi, & the sauce I made with it.

Rustic Roman Gnocchi with Rosemary Potatoes

Ingredients:

1 pint fresh Mushrooms-sliced thinly

2 cloves whole fresh Garlic-(unpeeled-but slightly smashed)

¼ teaspoon green Peppercorns

3 cups Fingerling or other small Potatoes (cut into half)

4-5 sprigs fresh Rosemary

2 ½ cups uncooked Gnocchi

6 tablespoons Butter-(divided into 3 batches)

4 teaspoons Olive oil-(divided in half)

Sea Salt

Step 1:

In a Dutch oven, heat to medium high, melt 2 tablespoons butter, 2 teaspoons olive oil, garlic & 2 sprigs of Rosemary. Add potatoes, sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt & black pepper, & cover. Cook for about 2-3 minutes at a time, tossing potatoes so that they cook evenly. Once thoroughly cooked, appearing firm, yet soft when pierced with a fork, remove from heat & allow to cool for 10 minutes covered. Remove from pan & place in a large serving dish, covered in plastic wrap to retain heat.

Step 2:

In the same Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of butter, & sauté mushrooms with a pinch of sea salt & pepper until tender. Remove & add to potatoes. Cover.

Step 3:

In the Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of butter, 2 more sprigs of rosemary, & 2 teaspoons of Olive oil on medium heat. Add gnocchi in two batches. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt. Cook evenly without gnocchi touching one another, in one layer. Turn them over half way to cook the underside.

The appearance should be a golden brown, forming a thin crust on the outside, but still soft & fluffy on the inside. I cooked my gnocchi in two batches. Otherwise, only about half of the recipe will cover the pan at one time. Remove from heat, toss with mushrooms & potatoes, and sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese. Serve.  

Pumpkin-Potato Gnocchi with Walnut Cream Sauce

• 1 1/4 pounds russet (baking potatoes)
• 1 (3/4-pound) Pumpkin (I used canned Pumpkin)
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano plus more for serving
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt (about 2 pinches)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Equipment needed: a potato ricer, or a food mill or food processor fitted with fine disk

For Sauce:

2 teaspoons Butter

2 teaspoons Olive Oil

4-5 pieces fresh Sage or Basil (I used Basil this time, but Sage works well too)

½ cup Shredded Parmesan

Salt & Pepper to taste

1/8 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

¼ cup Walnuts-Toasted then pulsed in Food processor

2 cups Half & Half (this is lower in fat that whole cream, but as you reduce the sauce it will thicken.

1 cup hot Pasta water

To make gnocchi:
Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle.

Pierce russet potatoes and sliced pumpkin pieces in several places with a fork, then bake in a 4-sided sheet pan until just tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

**If you do decide to use plain canned pumpkin, which works just as well, make sure than you take care to drain it for at least 4 hours before hand in a cheese cloth or fine mesh strainer. Otherwise, it will add too much water to your recipe.

Cool potatoes & pumpkin slightly, then peel and force through ricer into sheet pan, spreading in an even layer. Cool completely.

Lightly flour 2 or 3 large baking sheets or line with parchment paper. Beat together egg, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl.

Gather potatoes and pumpkin into a mound in sheet pan, using a pastry scraper if you have one, and form a well in center. Pour egg mixture into well, then knead into potatoes-pumpkin mixture.

Knead in cheese and 1 1/2 cups flour, then knead, adding more flour as necessary, until mixture forms a smooth but slightly sticky dough. Dust top lightly with some of flour.

Cut dough into 6 pieces. Form 1 piece of dough into a 1/2-inch-thick rope on a lightly floured surface. Cut rope into 1/2-inch pieces. Gently roll each piece into a ball and lightly dust with flour. Repeat with remaining 5 pieces of dough.

Turn a fork over and hold at a 45-degree angle, with tips of tines touching work surface. Working with 1 at a time, roll gnocchi down fork tines, pressing with your thumb, to make ridges on 1 side. Transfer gnocchi as formed to baking sheets.

Cook gnocchi:
Add half of gnocchi to a pasta pot of well-salted boiling water and stir. Cook until they float to surface, about 3 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to skillet with sauce. Cook the remaining gnocchi in same manner, transferring to skillet as cooked.

To make sauce:
Add butter to oil in skillet with 1/2 teaspoon salt, garlic, and green onions. Sauté over medium heat until fragrant and golden brown, add ½ and half. Season. Bring to a boil, and then add 1 cup pasta water. Mix well & turn off heat. You can begin adding your cooked gnocchi to the sauce pan as they are done, and continue to finish cooking your sauce. Remove from heat. Serve.