Gnocchi is on my bucket list of foods to master someday. It has always intimidated me. I tried to make it a handful of times as a teenager and in college, but was never successful. The gnocchi would look ok, but fall apart once they hit the boiling water.
I received purple potatoes in my CSA box and thought it would be a great opportunity to try again. I even got a gnocchi board! They didn’t turn out nearly as beautiful as Manu’s, but they held together and had a wonderful texture. So light and airy! Definitely an improvement from my previous attempts.
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If you don’t have a Gnocchi Board, you can use a fork to create indentations in the gnocchi dough. I baked the potatoes to keep out as much moisture as possible. I served my gnocchi with a simple lemon cream sauce. Feel free to substitute with your favorite.
To keep the gnocchi from becoming dense, avoid overworking the dough. Combine the ingredients as little as possible.
Purple Gnocchi in Lemon Cream Sauce
Gnocchi adapted from Manu’s Menu. Sauce adapted from The Encyclopedia of Sauces for Your Pasta
Purple Gnocchi in Lemon Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 2.2 pounds (1 kg) purple potatoes
- 1 cup (250 g) all purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
Lemon Cream Sauce:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Place potatoes on baking sheet and bake in preheated oven until fork tender, about 45 minutes. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
- If using a potato ricer, add potatoes and mash into large bowl. Remove skins from ricer. Otherwise, peel skins and place potatoes in large bowl. Add flour and mash until smooth. Mix in salt, then egg, and knead together until dough comes together. If too sticky, slowly add a little flour until workable.
- Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long, 3/4 inch (2 cm) wide rope. Cut the rope into 1 inch (2 1/2 cm) pieces. Use your thumb to roll pieces on gnocchi board or fork to create indentations. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Bring large pot of salted water to a boil.
- While waiting for water to boil, mix together cream, butter, zest, parsley, Parmesan, and salt over medium heat in a small saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just below boiling and butter has melted. Reduce heat to low, stirring occasionally, to keep warm until gnocchi cooks.
- Once pot of water has come to a boil, add gnocchi, a few at a time to not overcrowd, and cook just until they rise to surface. Remove with slotted spoon and serve immediately with lemon cream sauce.
Lauren Everson
Way To Go!
Kammie
Ohh my, this must have been delightful. I LOVE gnocchi but I’m a bit scared to make them. I think I should just suck it up and make them already. Also I’ve never seen purple potatoes before (I know, I’m probably the only one that hasn’t) do they taste the same as regular potatoes?
Tara
I have never seen them in our grocery store. I got them for the first time in my CSA box and jumped right to this recipe 🙂 Maybe in larger cities they may be more available. The taste is similar to russet potatoes. They just have an extra boost of antioxidants from the purple color.