Sweet or Savory Gnocchi from South Tyrol
It is hard to beat delicious gnocchi, those soft, fluffy potato pillows that can be served with brown butter, pesto, or about as many sauces as you’d serve with any pasta variety.
Today’s recipe comes from South Tyrol where dairy farmers churn up some of the most flavorful butter you can get anywhere in the European continent and shows the simplistic beauty that great gnocchi can be. The dish, known as Schupfnudeln features classic potato gnocchi finished in butter and is often served tossed with poppy seeds and a touch of sugar for a unique dessert, but I will also be sharing a savory version where the gnocchi are showered in grated Parmesan.
There’s not really much to this recipe so I say let’s jump right into it!
Serves 6
Time: 1 1/2 hours
Difficulty: Easy
For the Gnocchi
1 pound starchy potatoes like Russet
2 eggs
A large pinch of salt
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
1 2/3 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
To Serve:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (cultured butter if you can find it)
1/4 cup poppy seeds and 1/4 cup sugar (For sweet)
3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano (For savory)
Peel and cut the potatoes into bite-sized chunks, then place them into a pot of salted water. Bring that to a boil and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 20 minutes.
Drain, then pass the potatoes through a ricer or crush with a potato masher. Stir in the eggs, salt and nutmeg until combined. (It is potatoes so don’t skimp on the salt). Add the flour, then beat the mixture until well combined, don’t forget that this isn’t bread or pasta. Dump the dough onto a floured worksurface and gently knead until smooth.
Cut the dough into manageable chunks then roll each chunk into a 1-inch rope. Cut the rope into 3/4 inch pieces then, with well-floured hands, roll each piece between your palms to create gnocchi with tapered ends, looking almost like a torpedo.
Once rolled, bring a saucepan of salted water to a simmer, not a boil. Add the gnocchi to the water, and let it cook for about 3-5 minutes, or until it floats to the surface. Meanwhile, melt down the butter in a wide nonstick pan until the butter starts to smell nutty and turn golden brown, be careful not to let it burn.
Drain the gnocchi and add them to the hot butter, then cook for about 2 minutes, or until lightly golden. Dump onto a serving platter then either top with the poppy seeds and sugar or the grated Parmigiano.
