This recipe for home made potato gnocchi with cheese and leeks is an excellent instance of conventional Alpine delicacies. Sometimes eaten in the course of the Christmas interval in Friuli Venezia Giulia, we love this creamy tacky potato gnocchi all 12 months spherical! The home made gnocchi have cheese within the dough and the sauce is a tacky béchamel with sautéed leeks. So, an absolute must-try for cheese lovers!

What’s potato gnocchi?
Potato gnocchi is a sort of dumpling from Italy normally made with boiled potato, flour and eggs. These dumplings are most frequently served boiled after which dressed with a sauce like on this home made tacky potato gnocchi recipe or baked like in gnocchi alla Sorrentina!
When folks exterior Italy discuss gnocchi, they largely confer with potato gnocchi. Nevertheless, Italian potato gnocchi solely date again to the beginning of the 18th century in contrast to different kinds of dumplings which have existed in Italy because the Renaissance and even a lot earlier.
The way to make good potato gnocchi.
Most potato gnocchi are mainly boiled and mashed or pressed potatoes mixed with egg, a pinch of salt and a few ‘00’ flour and made right into a dough, which is then minimize and formed by hand. An important ingredient for good potato gnocchi is the kind of potato used.
However, the way in which the dough is created additionally contributes to the success of your gnocchi. Dough that’s too compact will produce robust gnocchi which are heavy and stodgy.
What are the perfect potatoes for gnocchi?
Potatoes that are too watery would require extra flour and the end result will probably be ‘gummy’ gnocchi! Right here in Italy, we’re fortunate that potatoes in supermarkets and grocers are labelled as being the correct sort for gnocchi! Clearly, that isn’t the case exterior of Italy.
The very best potatoes are dry and starchy with white flesh, ideally barely aged. I like to make use of Russet potatoes, that are the preferred right here in Italy, however you can too use Desiree potatoes, Yukon Gold, Idaho potatoes and even King Edwards.
In conclusion, the right fluffy gnocchi are made with starchy and aged potatoes. The upper the water content material of your potato, the extra flour you’ll have to add when making your home made potato gnocchi. Including an excessive amount of flour will make the gnocchi onerous and rubbery and also you that is not what you need.
Components for this tacky home made gnocchi recipe.
The gnocchi.
Potatoes: As talked about above these have to be starchy and barely aged.
Eggs: This recipe calls for two egg yolks. Utilizing solely egg yolk offers the gnocchi a richer taste and colour. I like to make use of free-range bio eggs as a result of they style higher, are extra nutritious and more healthy.
The flour: As with most Italian potato gnocchi recipes, this model requires Italian ‘00’ mushy wheat flour. You may also use all-purpose flour.
The flour: As with most Italian potato gnocchi recipes, this model requires Italian ‘00’ mushy wheat flour. You may also use all-purpose flour.
The cheese: In contrast to regular potato gnocchi recipes, this gnocchi from Friuli Venezia Giulia requires grated cheese to be added to the gnocchi dough. The normal cheese on this recipe is Montasio.
It is a mountain cheese produced from cow’s milk in each Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia. You should buy it in 4 variations, recent, semi-mature, mature and aged (Italians say ‘stagionata’ for aged or mature cheese).
Recent Montasio is kind of delicate, however the flavour intensifies with age. Montasio is the star of one other dish from Friuli which has the same taste profile to this home made potato gnocchi recipe. Frico is a scrumptious sort of potato pancake which requires potatoes, onions and Montasio.
If you cannot discover Montasio cheese, good substitutes embrace different semi-hard Alpine good melting cheeses like Emmenthal, Fontina, Gruyere, or Asiago.
Components for the sauce.
The sauce for these potato and cheese gnocchi is mainly a tacky béchamel mixed with sautéed leeks.
To make this you have to flour, butter, milk, recent leeks and extra Montasio (or whichever cheese you’re utilizing).
The way to make these home made potato gnocchi.
Step-by-step directions.
1)Prepare dinner the unpeeled entire potatoes in loads of salted boiling water. Then both peel them and mash them gently with a potato masher or press them by way of a potato ricer into a big bowl.
With the latter, you don’t have to peel the potatoes first. The peel tends to remain within the ricer, though it’s finest to take away the peel after ricing every potato.I discover utilizing a ricer is the easiest way.
Prepare dinner’s tip. To make good gnocchi, the potato must be nonetheless fairly scorching when pressed or mashed. You additionally don’t need the ‘mash’ to be too compact, preserve it fluffy.
2) Add the ready grated cheese, egg yolks, salt, and flour to the potato.
3) Combine all the things properly collectively after which flip the gnocchi combination out on to a well-floured floor.
4) Knead gently to kind a pliable dough. Roll the potato gnocchi dough right into a ball, as you’d for home made pasta.
5) Subsequent, minimize off a bit of dough and roll it into an extended rope about ¾ inch (2cm) thick after which minimize the rope into ¾ inch (2 cm) equal items. These gnocchis aren’t historically ridged, however you are able to do so by rolling them over an gnocchi board or the again of a fork. Repeat with the remainder of the dough.
6) Place the prepared gnocchi on a flour dusted floor whilst you make the remaining and the sauce.
The way to make the sauce.
Step-by-step directions.
1) Wash and clear the leeks and minimize them into slim slices. Then sauté in butter till mushy and really barely browned. Put aside.
2) To make the béchamel, soften the butter in a heavy saucepan, add the flour and blend along with a picket spoon till you’ve gotten a easy paste (roux).
3) For finest outcomes, add within the milk just a little at a time stirring repeatedly till the sauce is easy and has the consistency of a custard.
4) Lastly add the grated cheese, combine till it melts after which put within the sautéed leeks.
End the dish.
Switch the cheese sauce to a skillet that’s giant sufficient to carry the gnocchi too. If the sauce has thickened an excessive amount of, add just a little water or milk and warmth by way of over a low warmth.
Put a big pot of water on to boil for the gnocchi, add salt as soon as it begins to boil and convey to a boil once more. Prepare dinner the gnocchi within the boiling salted water till they rise to the floor. Then take away them with a slotted spoon and add them to the sauce.
Combine the gnocchi and cheese and leek sauce collectively for a minute to permit the gnocchi to soak up the flavors of the sauce. Add salt and floor black pepper to style, then plate instantly. I added some chopped chives for additional oniony flavour and colour. However the chives aren’t within the unique recipe and are non-compulsory.
Like many Italian cheeses, most kinds of Alpine mountain cheese, like Montasio, is made with animal rennet. So, not appropriate for vegetarians. Use a vegetarian cheese as an alternative.
What to do with leftovers.
In case you have any leftover home made potato gnocchi with sauce, you possibly can preserve it sealed within the fridge for a few days. Reheat within the microwave or in a pan over a low warmth with some extra milk.
In case you have leftover raw gnocchi you possibly can freeze them for later. Unfold your home made potato gnocchi in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 1 hour. Switch to a freezer bag or hermetic container and freeze for as much as 3 months. No have to thaw earlier than cooking—you possibly can prepare dinner frozen gnocchi in the identical approach as recent!
Pin for later.
Serve along with your favourite sauce.
These tacky home made potato gnocchi are additionally scrumptious served in several methods.
Serve them with a basil pesto sauce, a tomato sauce, or a meat sauce. Alternatively use them in comparable tacky gnocchi recipes from the Italian mountains akin to gnocchi alla Bava from The Aosta Valley or gnocchi della Val Varaita from Piemonte.
Let me know what you suppose.
The flavors on this potato gnocchi recipe are typical of Alpine delicacies. Potatoes and cheese are mixed in various dishes discovered all through the Alps akin to raclette (common in Switzerland, France, Austria and Germany) and French tartiflette and aligot.
We love all of the abovementioned dishes however this potato gnocchi has the added sweetness of the leeks which makes it even higher and creates such a superb stability of flavors. I’m positive if you happen to give this recipe a strive, you’ll agree with me!
Should you do do that tacky home made potato gnocchi recipe, I’d love to listen to what you suppose. Please write a remark right here on the weblog or publish a touch upon the Pasta Venture Fb web page.
Your suggestions means loads to me!
Buon Appetito!
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