Homemade Italian Potato Gnocchi with Sage Infused Butter and Crispy Bacon

You no longer need to go to your favorite Italian restaurant to eat these soft and deliciously smooth Italian gnocchi, 
served with sage infused butter and sinfully crispy bacon.
See how easy is to make these dumplings right in your kitchen!

Three basic ingredients and 45 minutes of your time is all it takes to transform a few potatoes in a delicious dinner for your family.
Making traditional Italian gnocchi from scratch is not really hard, as you will see in this step-by-step recipe and my video. But there are a few things that you will need to keep in mind if this is your first time.
The goal is to have soft enough gnocchi (but not mushy) with a smooth texture. To make sure your dumplings will not be hard and too chewy, you need to use the least amount of flour possible in the dough... but enough flour to hold the gnocchi together, so they won't fall apart when dropped in boiling water. The secret to accomplish that: do NOT overcook the potatoes. If you do, the potatoes start absorbing water. More water in the mashed potatoes means more flour needed in the dough. So, watch the potatoes carefully and set your timer.
The second thing you want in gnocchi is a smooth texture. Nobody likes grainy and coarse-y dumplings. All you need to do is mash the potatoes when they are still hot. For this reason I like to peel the potatoes before boiling, so I don't waste time (and burn my fingers!!!) to peel them when hot. AND I cut them in half ... just the right size to fit my ricer. Easy enough, right?!?

You can serve gnocchi in many ways: with Bolognese or a tomato/basil sauce. To bring out the delicate flavor of the potatoes, I like a simpler sauce made with sage infused melted butter, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and ...why not? Some crispy bacon strips to make this dish irresistible to anyone!

Enjoy :)

Ingredients: 4 medium servings (or 3 large)         Printable Recipe
For the gnocchi:

• 4 large russet potatoes (about 2.2 lb, 1 kg)
• 1 cup (150 gr) of all-purpose flour, plus a couple of tablespoons
• 1 egg
• salt

For the sauce:

• 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 5 oz (140 gr) of bacon
• a few leaves of fresh sage
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese, about 1/2 cup

Preparation time: 45 minutes
Directions:
1: Peel the potatoes and cut in half. Place the potatoes in a large enough pot, and cover with cold, salted water. Bring to a boil. As soon as the water boils, lower the flame to medium-low, and cook in a slow boil for about 18 minutes, based on the size of the potatoes. Test with a fork. When ready, you should be able to stick the fork all the way in. Please do not overcook, or the potatoes will start absorbing water.

2: Remove the potatoes promptly from the water, and pass them through  a ricer. Add one egg and the cup of flour.  Don't overdo with the mixing, just combine until the mixture holds together. Add more flour if needed.

3: Move the potato mixture to a clean, lightly floured counter. Take some of the dough at a time, and roll it into a rope about 3/4 inch thick. Cut the gnocchi, about 3/4 inch length. Place the gnocchi over parchment paper, or a lightly floured surface, until ready to serve. Don't overlap the gnocchi or they will stick together.

4. When ready to eat, fry the bacon cut in strips, until crispy. And in a large frying pan, melt the butter with the sage. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the gnocchi - some at the time if necessary. And let cook for about 2 - 3 minutes. You can remove them as soon as they rise to the surface. Add the gnocchi to the frying pan. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and the bacon strips. Mix well, and serve hot :)

Buon Appetito!

Recipe for Butternut Squash Gnocchi

Soft and delicate butternut squash gnocchi

flavored with butter and sage, and sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. 

 A must-try recipe for this fall!

This is a recipe you must try this fall, made with one of the freshest farmers market product right now.
I know, it may come as a surprise that gnocchi are not only made with potatoes. Butternut squash is also perfect in dumplings because of its tender and firm texture, as well as its creamy and sweet flesh. These gnocchi are as soft and delicate as the one made with potatoes, with the added sweetness and richness of the butternut squash.
As I mentioned in my recipe for the potato gnocchi, the secret to soft and tasty dumplings is to use the least amount of flour possible, without the gnocchi falling apart in the boiling water. So it's best to bake the squash rather than boiling it in water. I like to peel and cut it in pieces before baking, so that the cooking and cleaning are a lot faster. Then all you need to do is pass the squash through the ricer, add flour and egg, and just drop small spoonfuls of the mixture in boiling water. So simple! No need to knead dough, roll and cut the gnocchi. Maybe less picture perfect than potato gnocchi, but a lot quicker and easier. And for sure as delicious!

Ingredients: serving 4-6 people

• 2.5 lb (about 1 kg) of  peeled and cleaned butternut squash (mine was 3.5 lb before removing the skin and the seeds)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon of grated nutmeg
• 1.5 cups (210 gr) of all-purpose flour
• salt to taste
• 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter (you could use extra virgin olive oil, as a healthier alternative)
• 6-8 leaves of sage
• 4 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation time: 45 minutes

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the butternut squash in slices. Remove the peel and the seeds. Cut in smaller pieces, place them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake for about 25  minutes, until slightly golden and tender. You can test with a piece in the ricer and see. It should not be too hard to press it through. If so, add a couple of minutes in the oven.

2. Press the squash through a potato ricer onto a large bowl. Depending on the squash, there might be a little water coming out when you first start squeezing the ricer. If you can, throw the water out.

3. Mix the squash with the flour, the nutmeg, the eggs and a little bit of salt. Add the flour some at the time, until you find the right consistency.

4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Using two teaspoons, drop small amounts of squash mixture into the simmering water. You probably will need to do this in three or four batches, depending on how big is your pot. Don't put too many gnocchi in the water or they won't have space to move and they might stick to each other.Wait for the gnocchi to float to the surface and let cook for 2 more minutes. It should take 4-5 minutes at most.

5. Melt butter with the sage in a large frying pan.

6. When ready, remove the gnocchi from the water using a hand colander or a large perforated spatula, drain well from the water and place in the pan with the butter and sage.

Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Buon appetito!

Homemade Traditional Potato Gnocchi - Italian Dumplings

Homemade gnocchi made with potatoes: smooth and soft, and so incredibly delicious!

Today I'm ready to share the recipe for one of my favorite Italian dishes: traditional potato gnocchi, also known as Italian dumplings.
When I was little this was probably the one food I asked my mom to cook most often. And my kids absolutely love them too. You can serve them topped with a simple melted butter, sage and Parmesan cheese. Or they are also perfect with  Bolognese or tomato/basil sauce for a more savory taste. No matter what I choose, gnocchi are always welcomed at my table,
And would you like to know the secret to the perfect potato gnocchi? Do I hear a YES?!?
Here we go: to keep the gnocchi soft and smooth, not hard and too chewy, you need to use the least amount of flour that you can, without the gnocchi falling apart when you boil them. And it's simple: do not overcook the potatoes or they will absorb too much water. More water in the potatoes, more flour is needed when making the dumplings. What I generally do, is peel the potatoes before boiling to make my job easier and quicker later. If you do so, you have to pay close attention, and remove the potatoes from the water as soon as they are ready. The alternative is to boil the potatoes with their skin on. But you will need to peel and mash them when they are still hot.... Not as easy!
So the second part of my secret: don't wait to mash the potatoes when they cool down. This might be no secret to you if have made mashed potatoes before and decided to wait a bit before mashing. You end up with a grainy and coarse-y texture. Not so yummy!
Now that you know my secrets, you are ready to make the most amazing gnocchi you have ever tasted. Believe me :-)


Ingredients: makes 3 servings.

• 3 russet potatoes, around 1.5 lb
• 3/4 cup of all purpose flour, plus about 1/4 of a cup 
• 1 egg
• salt

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Directions:
Step 1: Peel the potatoes and cut in half. Place the potatoes in a large enough pot, and cover with cold, salted water. Bring to a boil. As soon as the water boils, lower the flame to medium-low, and cook in a slow boil for about 15-18 minutes based on the size of the potatoes. Test with a fork. When ready, you should be able to stick the fork all the way in.

Step 2: Remove the potatoes promptly from the water, and pass them through  a ricer. In a large bowl, mix the 3/4 cup of flour (some at the time!) and the egg with the mashed potatoes. Don't overdo with the mixing, just combine until it holds together. Add more flour if needed.

Step 3: Move the potato mixture to a clean, lightly floured counter. Take some of the dough at a time, and roll it into a rope about 1/2 inch thick. Cut the gnocchi, about 3/4 inch length. Place the gnocchi over parchment paper, lightly floured. Don't overlap the gnocchi or they will stick together.

Step 4: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the gnocchi - some at the time if necessary. And let cook for about 2 - 3 minutes. You can remove them as soon as they rise to the surface. Drain well and serve with your favorite sauce.

Here are my gnocchi with melted butter, sage and lots of Parmesan cheese! Buon Appetito!