One day I shall make gnocchi like an Italian grandmother. It is one of my life’s many ambitions. But gnocchi making is time-consuming and I don’t have a potato ricer or potato mill on hand. So, for now, I’m sticking to the shop-bought stuff. However, if you’re feeling adventurous, the venerable Julia Child does include a recipe for French gnocchi in “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”. Her version calls for mixing cooked semolina flour into the pâte à choux dough. She finishes her gnocchi under the broiler with a topping of Swiss cheese sauce.
The mascarpone in this recipe is a great feature and Italians use it a lot for both savoury and sweet dishes. It adds a distinct rich flavour to meals that include pasta or gnocchi, such as this one.
Gnocchi with Creamy Spinach and Tomato Sauce is for one of those evenings when you just want to come home and kick back in front of a movie with a glass of red wine.
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
400G peeled tinned tomatoes
140g mascarpone
20g parmesan
500g gnocchi
200g fresh spinach
A handful of fresh basil
Salt & pepper
Directions:
Heat oil in a large frying pan. Crush garlic and sauté until golden. Add the tomatoes. Add salt and pepper and let simmer for 10 min. Add mascarpone and cook for a further 2 min. Grate the parmesan.
Boil salted water in another pan. Cook the gnocchi (see time indicated on packet) and add the spinach 1 minute before cooking time is up. The good thing about gnocchi is that they let you know when they’re done: once they’ve all floated to the surface, remove them using a skimming ladle, then drain the spinach.
Add the spinach and gnocchi to the mascarpone mixture and stir gently. Garnish with chopped basil leaves and grated parmesan, then serve immediately.
This will serve 3-4 people.
Mila's Kitchen 