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Bread Gnocchi

1 stale loaf (1 lb) course-texture bread
4 cups milk
1 shallots, chopped
2-4 eggs
3 tbsp flour
1 tbsp thyme
8 cups broth
3 ounces butter

Cut up the bread and place in a bowl with milk. Let soak 30 minutes. Drain and squeeze. Add shallots, thyme, salt and pepper, nutmeg, and parsley. Beat the eggs in a bowl with salt. Add to the bread and work with hands until well mixed. Add flour and make gnocchi balls from Ts of bread and roll those in flour. (Add more flour if they fall apart in the broth) Boil the broth. Drop the gnocchi into the broth. Cover and simmer 10 minutes or until well puffed up. Remove with slotted spoon and keep warm. Melt butter. Sprinkle cheese over gnocchi and drizzle with butter. OR serve with any favorite sauce.

Ricotta Gnocchi

15 oz. ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1 tsp olive oil
~2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
10 cranks fresh cracked pepper

In a medium bowl, whisk together the ricotta cheese, olive oil, egg, salt, and freshly cracked pepper. Add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until it forms a soft sticky dough (about 1.5 cups)
Begin boiling a large pot of water. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead in about another 1/2 cup of flour or until the dough no longer sticks to your hands. The dough should still be very soft in texture. Divide the dough into six pieces. Roll each piece out into a rope about 1 inch thick. Cut the rope into 1 inch sections. If desired, roll each piece of dough on the back of a fork to give it a ridged texture. When the water is boiling vigorously, drop the dough pieces into the water. As the gnocchi boil they will begin to rise to the surface. Once all of them are floating on top, let them boil for about 30 seconds to one minute more to ensure thorough cooking. Drain in a colander. Top drained gnocchi with your favorite sauce or garlic butter, salt, and pepper. Enjoy!

Spinach Gnocci

2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 T ground black pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
16 ounce ricotta cheese
10 oz frozen chopped spinach
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Sauce
2 cups heavy cream
3 Ts dry white wine
1 tsp brandy extract
1 pinch ground nutmeg
2 oz Gorgonzola cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Beat eggs with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper, and 1/8 tsp nutmeg in a large bowl. Mix in ricotta cheese and thawed and squeezed-dry spinach until evenly blended. Continue mixing in the flour, 1/4 cup at a time until a soft dough forms. If the dough is still sticky, add an additional 1/4 cup of flour. Cover, and place into refrigerator. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Divide the gnocchi dough into 4 pieces, and roll into 1/2 inch thick ropes on a floured surface. Slice each rope into 1/2 inch pieces. Gently boil the gnocchi until they float in the water, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain in a colander, and set aside. Meanwhile, pour cream, wine, brandy extract, and 1 pinch of nutmeg into a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, then remove from heat and whisk in the Gorgonzola cheese; season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss the gnocchi with the Gorgonzola sauce, and serve immediately.

Stuffed Gnocchi

2 pounds potatoes
1 to 1 1/2 pound flour salt, pepper, nutmeg
Fillings
Ricotta Cheese
1/2 cup ricotta
8 basil leaves
1/2 cup mozzarella
1/4 cup walnuts
Ham
1/2 cup ricotta
1 cup ham, chopped
1 tbsp Parmesan
1/2 tsp oregano

Gnocchi: cook potatoes in their skins. Peel them as soon as they are cool enough to handle and rice them. Season with salt and pepper and nutmeg. Add flour to combine until you have a somewhat firm dough. With floured hands, make walnut sized balls. Flatten each ball in place a little of the filling in the center. Shape back into a ball making sure the filling is covered by the potato dough. Cook in boiling water until they rise to the surface. Can add an egg to the dough, but may have to add more flour.

Polenta Gnocchi

2 large baking potatoes
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup polenta
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp basil
1/8 tsp pepper
1/3 cup flour

400°. Bake potatoes until tender, about one hour. When potatoes have baked about 40 minutes, start making polenta. Boil 1 1/2 cups water and 1/2 tsp salt – gradually add cornmeal, stirring continuously. When starts to thicken, stir in oil with a wooden spoon. Turn on low. Continue to stir until is quite thick and creamy, taking care to scrape bottom of pan, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly, stirring occasionally to keep smooth. Remove baked potatoes and cut in half lengthwise – when cool enough to handle, scrape flash into a large bowl (you should have 2 cups). Add Parmesan and butter; mash with the masher until evenly blended. Add egg, basil, 1/2 tsp salt, pepper, and cooled polenta; mash until blended. Sift flour over top and mix well with fork. Cool 15 minutes. Line large baking sheet with sides with waxed paper; flour lightly. With floured hands, spoon about 2 tbsp potato mixture onto your Palm and gently roll into an 1 3/4” ball. Flatten into a 3/4” thick disk and set aside on prepared baking sheet. Repeat to make about 24 gnocchi. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a gentle boil. Slide gnocchi in batches until water and simmer gently (surface should barely bubble) until it starts loading to top, 5-6 minutes. With slotted spoon, remove to the same baking sheet. Cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 24. In large skillet, heat a little oil. Spread cornmeal in shallow dish and add a few gnocchi, turning to coat. Add gnocchi to skillet and cook until golden, 2-3 minutes per side.

Semolina Gnocchi, Compiled

4 c milk
1 c semolina
4 bay leaves
2 T fresh thyme or 2/3 tsp dried
2/3 c Parmesan
1 egg
6 T butter
½ tsp salt
1 1/3 cups shredded taleggio
1 1/3 cup grated grana padano

Heat milk with bay leaves and thyme. Season w/ salt. When just about to boil, whisk in semolina. Keep whisking and cooking over med-low head until very thick, ~20-30 min, switching to a wooden spoon when it becomes too thick. Remove from heat and remove bay leaves. Mix the 2 cheeses. Stir in 1/2 c cheese, the egg, and 2 T butter. Pour into 2- 8” glass pie plates or 2-8x8” glass pans or 1-9x13” glass pan or on a cutting board to ½” thick, spread with wet spatula, and cool. (Or wrap in greased plastic or foil or wax paper to make a log, 1½” in diameter.) When cool, cut into circles or 2” squares. In well-greased pans - 2- 8” glass pie plates or 2-8x8” glass pans or 1-9x13” glass pan, distribute ragged pieces on bottom. Place the cut pieces in shingle shapes overlapping in rows, with squares having the point sides up. sprinkling a little cheese between layers. Pat 4 T butter and remaining cheese on top. If not using immediately, cover w/ plastic and refrigerate. Let come to rt. Bake the gnocchi for 30 minutes, or until the butter is bubbling in the pan and the top is a beautiful golden brown. If not browned, put under broiler for 1-2 min. Let the dish sit for about 5 minutes; cut into squares, and serve hot.