Recently I taught a class on making gnocchi at my friends gorgeous home, a hands on class where everyone would take part, we started the day off early, I was all prepped and ready to go!
We made two different kinds of gnocchi, butternut squash and ricotta. The squash was roasted, pureed in a food processor along with other ingredients, and then gently mixed into a dough.
Before we started we munched on a few appetizers and had some drinks, because after all we needed to build up our energy!
And then we got down to gnocchi business, with aprons on, each person had a job, some mixing the dough, some rolling, some cutting, but everyone wanted to try out the gnocchi boards, it was fun to see how fast they were all getting, gnocchi was flying everywhere!
We quickly filled up many trays, this was the butternut squash, I just love the color and taste, a big favorite of the day! Very light not heavy tasting at all.
The key to a light and fluffy ricotta gnocchi is to drain the ricotta of all moisture, I placed my ricotta in a fine strainer over a bowl in my fridge overnight, you can't believe how much liquid comes out! By straining the ricotta you won't have to keep adding additional flour to soak up that moisture which will keep them nice and light tasting.
I roasted mushrooms with olive oil, onions, garlic and zucchini and tossed the butternut squash gnocchi into it all, topped with fresh chopped parsley and generous amounts of freshly grated parmesan.
This is a perfect autumn dish, they just melt in your mouth, and the roasted vegetables just complement it all.
Another sauce that goes well with the butternut squash gnocchi is a fontina cheese sauce with torn spinach leaves and parmesan.
You can never go wrong with a simple marinara for the ricotta gnocchi, always a favorite!
But my new favorite way of eating them is tossing them into crumbled Italian sausage, roasted mushrooms, onions, garlic and cherry tomatoes. All dowsed with olive oil and freshly grated parmesan, and a sprinkling of fresh basil and parsley. Heavenly!
A fun day it was! Thanks to all who attended. The recipes are quite long so I didn't put them in my post but I'd be happy to email them out to anyone if you so desire, just contact me at prouditaliancook@hotmail.com subject, Gnocchi.UPDATE...
Thank you for the overwhelming response I got requesting my gnocchi recipes, I've sent out close to two hundred already! I've since learned how to post them on my Proud Italian Cook Facebook page. For those of you who are Facebook users you can get the recipes by going to my wall and on the lefthand side under "notes" they will be posted, for any others I will still email them out. Thanks to all!!
36 comments:
wow this looks amazing!!! I've never made Gnocchi but im excited to try this recipe!! Thanks for sharing :)
I can imagine how fun it was.And how yummy it was.I love the board to style gnocci;)
Thank you so much for this post. Reminds me of my Grandma, Josephine Gizzi.
I wish I was part of the gnocchi making class, sounds like a lot of fun and everything sounds delicious!
It looks great!Thanks for sharing.
What a truly fabulous post! And what a great space to hold a class on gnocchi making... such a wonderful kitchen to work in! Thank you for the tip about draining the ricotta.
:)
ButterYum
Wow, I wish I could've joined in the gnocchi party fun!
I love the zucchini mushroom topping, very different....I want to make it...did you roast the veggies or saute them in a pan? Beautiful!
Oh yum! I would love to learn how to make gnocchi.
Again, another reason to live in Chicago! So wish you'd come out here for a class. You can bring Pat, too. ;) I have gnocci on my list of Italian foods that I want to learn to make. Thanks for the ~continued~ inspiration to become Italian! And, yes, you'll be hearing from me on your recipes, of course...
Yay me!! I just bought a gnocchi paddle! Butternut squash gnocchi with fontina cheese sauce, here I come!
Printed and pinned!
I love love love gnocchi, especially ricotta ones. I wonder if I would be patient enough to roll the whole batch over the board.
I am roasting vegetables every day - so that combo really made me smile. I need a gnocchi class. Mine are so ugly - you need to drown them in something that no one can see.
I'm starving and those photos are making me more hungry.
Marie
A big wow with these gnocchi. Such a wide assortment of sauces too. I'm so glad your cooking classes are going well, but with a talent like you, I would not have expected anything less.
Linda
Wow Marie, teaching cooking classes!! That is fantastic. Your friend's kitchen looks like the perfect place. The gnocchi look melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Wish I lived closer. xo
Your gnocchi look fantastic, Marie! I would love to have the butternut squash recipe. I have made ricotta gnocchi many times, and you are so right that draining the ricotta ahead of time is a must.
I'm a mushroom fan so I'll take mine served with that roasted mushroom and zucchini sauce please!
PS: If I had a kitchen like this one I'd never leave it! :)
What a fun day that had to be...wish I was there! I'd PAY you to teach me how to make "light" gnocchi...we used to call them "lead sinkers" because of how heavy they were. Great tip to drain the ricotta!
Please thank your friend for letting us peek into her GORGEOUS kitchen? It must be sheer Heaven to get to play in such wonderful surroundings!
fondly,
Rett
p.s. Her dining room is BEAUTIFUL, too! *wink*
Oh, that sounds like so much fun -- and learning something, too! I don't think I could have picked a favorite! Now, to find me a gnocchi board!
I tried making gnocchi once (chickpea ones) and it was a disaster; you make me want to try these. Love the squash flavor. Will email asap.
This looks fabulous. Thanks for posting!
those gnocci dishes look delicious!
I make a gnocchi every Thursday as they do in Rome. I will never get tired of them and the hundreds of ways to make and serve them.
Wonderful post, the more people learn to make them, they will learn to love them as the Italians do.
I have an ancient dinner fork from my great grand mother's silver service she brought with her from Italy in the 1920s. It's almost as big as a pitch fork and what we gnocchi makers in the family have always used to shape each little gnoccho.
What I wouldn't give to have been one of those ladies. I really want to try making my own gnocchi. I'm such a fan of ricotta gnocchi. That kitchen! Wow. I can only dream of having one that large and well designed. I'm off to find your recipe.
I have made gnocchi only once, and you have inspired me to make them again--soon! I, too, am proud of my Italian heritage and also currently a Chicagoan (moved here from Boston almost 20 years ago). After some prodding, I have joined the blogosphere to post my own family favorite recipes. Come visit me! I think you'll enjoy today's posting for "Cream-allini Soup." It's a creamy Italian bean soup I came up with but has no cream in it. Check it out at: http://www.fransfavs.com/2011/11/cream-allini-soup/#more-2209
I love your blog--this posting is not the first time you have given me inspiration. I ordered the pan for timpano and plan on making it over the Christmas holidays. Ciao for now...
What could be more fun than spending a day making gnocchi!! It all looks so dreamy, Marie. I totally prefer ricotta gnocchi over potato ones and these just look fantastic, especially that last photo with the mushrooms and sausage. So making that!
What a fun day for you and your friends! Gnocchi is one of those things that you always want to learn how to make, but it's just way easier to buy... Now I want to make them! Make it look so easy!
Your Butternut Squash Gnocchi looks amazing! I always look forward to your emails with your new posts.
Thank you so much for the recipe...I liked you on facebook and appreciate it. The gnocchi look fantastic!
I feel that making this with friends is so fun, the recipe turns real delish
So many wonderful sauces too!!!!
Such lovely gnocchi, Marie! The fontina sauce is making me drool. Good luck with your cooking classes - it must feel so right to roll out the dough on a cool stone surface like that.
Mmm...wished you lived nearby this looks like a very fun day!!! I am off to FB to scout out the recipe ~ Thanks! ~ Robyn
Thanks so much for the gnocchi recipe. I made them last week with roasted mushrooms, garlic and the butter sage sauce. They were excellent!
Thanks for the recipe, Marie! I just posted about it here:
http://eatfordinner.blogspot.com/2011/12/butternut-squash-gnocchi.html
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