Homemade Potato Gnocchi with Roasted Root Vegetables
Homemade gnocchi can seem intimidating, but with the right methods it's a breeze! The first time I made gnocchi, I was taking a cooking class in Chicago. The kitchen had every cooking tool and utensil imaginable, including a potato ricer. The ricer allows the potato to be passed through, eliminating any lumps. A few months later when I tried to recreate this dish, I thought I could simply mash the potatoes and go from there. It turns out even the creamiest holiday mashed potatoes are still a little too lumpy and flawed to be rolled into a gnocchi dough. Luckily, I discovered a new method for making potatoes without a ricer. All you need is a metal sieve!
These light, fluffy potato gnocchi pair perfectly with local beets, carrots, and parsnips, served with a nutty brown butter sauce, all on top of a bed of fresh arugula.
*Note: It's important to push the potatoes through the sieve while they are still hot, otherwise it will not work.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 90 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories per serving: 521
Homemade Potato Gnocchi
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Pierce each potato with a fork in multiple places and place them on a baking tray. Brush each potato with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 60 minutes until fully cooked.
- Allow potatoes to cool for 5 minutes - do not wait any longer or they will not easily go through the sieve. While they are still hot, hold the potatoes with a towel and scoop out the insides. You can save the potato skins for later!
- Pass the hot potato through a metal sieve into a bowl using the back of a wooden spoon. It may not seem like anything is happening at first, but keep at it and the potato will pass through the sieve. A lot of it will collect on the bottom of the sieve, so make sure you scrape this into the bowl as well.
- In the bowl with the potatoes, add the beaten egg and almost all the flour (you may not need the full cup). Mix together until it forms a dough. Roll out onto a floured surface and knead just slightly until it is a smooth dough.
- Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces. Working in batches, roll the dough out into a long, narrow log. Cut the log into 1-inch pieces.
- For this next part, I used a gnocchi board to roll out the gnocchi. If you don't have one, a fork will work just fine! Hold a fork in one hand and place a gnocchi against the tines of the fork, cut the ends out. Use your thumb and press in and down the length of the fork. The gnocchi should curl into a slight "C" shape.
- Place the gnocchi on a floured baking sheet and refrigerate for at least an hour. This step can be skipped, but the gnocchi will hold better if chilled.
- Drop gnocchi into a pot of boiling water, and cook until they float to the surface, about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.
Roasted Root Vegetables with Creamy Brown Butter Sauce
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Toss beets, carrots, and parsnips in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes until vegetables are tender.
- Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the bay leaf, and cook for a few minutes until the butter begins to brown and releases a nutty aroma. Turn heat to low, and whisk in thyme, vinegar, mustard, and black pepper. Remove the bay leaf and set aside.
- In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter. Add the gnocchi in a single layer and cook for 7-8 minutes, flipping halfway through. The gnocchi should be crisp and brown.
- Add the roasted veggies and brown butter sauce. You can stop here, or you can add a splash of heavy cream. Add in the chopped parsley and fully mix.
- Create a bed of arugula on a plate, then top with gnocchi & vegetable mixture. Top with black pepper and freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired. Enjoy!