At the Table of La Fortezza: The Enchantment of Tuscan Cooking from the Lunigiana Region, written by Annette Joseph, features a beautiful collection of recipes and stories inspired by the cuisine and flavors of Lunigiana. A few highlights include Balsamic Grilled Mackerel on Fried Polenta (Sgombro con Polenta), Sautéed Sausage with Charred Friggitelli Peppers, Roasted Grape and Ricotta Crostini with Salami, Pappardelle with Duck Ragù, and Pear Tart with Multigrain Crust. I will also be sharing her recipe for Chestnut Gnocchi with Pecorino and Chard following the review.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Rizzoli in exchange for my honest review. All comments and opinions are my own. This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.
Annette Joseph
Annette Joseph is a stylist, producer, and author with a focus on entertaining, cooking, and styling and design. Her work has been featured in Southern Living, Better Homes and Gardens, Harper’s Bazaar, the Huffington Post, Elle Decor, and more.
She is also the author of Italy is My Boyfriend, My Italian Guestbook, Picture Perfect Parties, and Cocktail Italiano.
At the Table of La Fortezza
Annette begins At the Table of La Fortezza with a short introduction and description of the food of the Lunigiana region in Tuscany. She focuses on seasonal, local cooking and even includes some recipes dating back to the Middle Ages.
I especially love the profiles scattered among the pages of local chefs, purveyors, and home cooks. She also provides a closer look at notable ingredients such as lardo, chestnut flour, and truffles.
Chapters are divided according to season: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Annette breaks down the seasons with descriptive stories and favorite ingredients. Each chapter begins with a list of the included recipes and page number for easy reference.
The photography is provided by David Loftus. Most of the recipes are accompanied by a half to full-page beautifully styled photo of the finished dish. There are a few step-by-step photos to demonstrate techniques such as making basic egg pasta dough, Ricotta and Chard-Stuffed Cappelletti, and Testaroli.
Measurements are listed in US Customary. Titles are written in English and/or Italian. Each recipe includes a headnote with background information, history, personal stories, yield, menu ideas, and tips.
Chestnut Gnocchi with Pecorino and Chard
After making the Chestnut Fritters, I had some leftover chestnut flour and wanted to make another chestnut-based recipe in the book. This Chestnut Gnocchi with Pecorino and Chard was such a fantastic choice!
Chestnut flour is blended with all-purpose flour, mashed potatoes, and eggs to create a soft and pillowy dough.
After forming into individual gnocchi, they are boiled in salted water, pan-fried until golden, and tossed with thinly sliced chard.
Serve immediately with shaved pecorino or Parmesan cheese for an incredibly comforting meal. The starchy chestnut flour adds a chewy texture with a fragrant, nutty flavor.
A Few Chestnut Gnocchi Tips
A staple in Lunigiana, chestnut flour is created by grinding dried chestnuts. It can be found in some specialty markets with Italian ingredients or online: Chestnut Flour Molino Zanone. Make sure to sift before adding to the gnocchi dough.
Add just enough all-purpose flour to create a soft and smooth dough, up to 2 cups. About 1 1/2 cups was perfect for me, but this amount may vary based on the moisture content of the potatoes and local climate.
I used a gnocchi board to form the distinct ridges, but the tines of a fork will also work.
The gnocchi take some time to make, but they can easily be frozen (before cooking) in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then transferred to a freezer-safe bag. Simply boil straight from the freezer (cooking time may need to be increased by a minute or two).
Boil the Chestnut Gnocchi in batches to prevent them from sticking together. If your pan is too small, you may need to pan-fry them in batches too.
Other Dishes
I also made Giovanna’s Chestnut Flour Fritters with Ricotta and Chestnut Honey, Bruschetta with Burrata and Pesto, La Fortezza Bolognese Sauce, and Tagliatelle with Leeks (Tagliatelle ai Porri).
I used chestnut flour for the very first time to make Giovanna’s Chestnut Flour Fritters with Ricotta and Chestnut Honey. The flavors were so good! A basic chestnut flour batter is fried until golden and puffed, then served warm with fresh ricotta and a drizzle of chestnut honey.
The Bruschetta with Burrata and Pesto was such an easy and fantastic use for bruschetta. It is simply paired with pesto and toasted baguette slices.
La Fortezza Bolognese Sauce was another favorite. It takes some time to gently simmer, but comes together with only a handful of ingredients. I tossed the meat-based sauce with some Malfadine I had on hand, but it would also be wonderful with homemade pappardelle.
The Tagliatelle with Leeks (Tagliatelle ai Porri) pairs a light tomato sauce with herbs, mushrooms, and plenty of thinly sliced leeks with a delicate onion flavor.
At the Table of La Fortezza is a great pick for those looking for regional Italian cuisine with a focus on local ingredients. Recipes range from easy dishes perfect for a light lunch or snack to more time-consuming and fun homemade pasta, bread, and desserts.
Most of the ingredients are available in larger American grocery stores. Having a market with specialty Italian products will be helpful for locating items such as 00 flour, zucchini blossoms, lardo, farro, Arborio rice, chestnut flour, sour cherries, rabbit, chickpea flour, and juniper berries. Annette provides a source guide at the end of the book.
Chestnut Gnocchi with Pecorino and Chard Recipe
Excerpt from At the Table of La Fortezza
Chestnut Gnocchi with Pecorino and Chard
Ingredients
For the gnocchi:
- 3 pounds russet potatoes about 6 medium
- 1 tablespoon salt plus 1/4 cup for cooking the pasta
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup chestnut flour sifted
- 2 cups all-purpose flour divided
For the chard:
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 cups thinly sliced chard
- 1 cup shaved pecorino or Parmesan cheese
Instructions
To prepare the gnocchi:
- Boil the potatoes for 15 minutes, until just tender, and drain.
- Let cool enough to handle, then peel.
- Pass the potatoes one at a time through a ricer into a large bowl, then spread the riced potatoes onto a baking sheet, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt, and let the potatoes cool and dry for 30 minutes.
- Once cool, transfer to a large mixing bowl. Note: If you're using left-over mashed potatoes you can just jump to this next step.
- Whisk the eggs in a small bowl and drizzle them over the potatoes. Using a fork, gently stir to combine.
- Sift the chestnut flour over the mixture, stirring with the fork to incorporate.
- Stir in the all-purpose flour until just combined (up to 2 cups, I used 1 1/2 cups).
- Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, until it is soft but holds together; it should not crack, but have the consistency of room temperature butter.
- Divide the dough into two 5-inch disks, then divide each disk into quarters.
- Roll each quarter into a 12-inch rope, about 1 inch in diameter. Cut the rope into 1-inch lengths and, using the tines of a fork or a ribbed gnocchi board, gently roll the gnocchi to form ridges.
To cook:
- Fill a large pot three-fourths full of water, add the salt, and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Cook the gnocchi in 4 batches so they won't crowd the pot and stick to each other.
- While the gnocchi are cooking, heat a large skillet on medium-low heat and add the oil and butter.
- Use a spider strainer or slotted spoon to remove the gnocchi after about 3 minutes, when they float to the top, and add them directly to the warm skillet.
- Once all the batches are in the skillet, increase heat to medium-high and cook for about 3 minutes, turning to brown overall. Then toss in the chard and cook for about 3 minutes, until it is wilted but still with a bite.
- Divide into individual bowls and top with the pecorino. Serve immediately.
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