Gluten Free Gnocchi

Ric Orlando's Gluten Free Gnocchi

Yes you can!

Gnocchi are simple potato dumplings, easily done gluten free! The most important aspect of good gnocchi is the cooking of the potatoes! If you boil them , they will absorb lots of water. Who wants a soggy potato? Baking them will concentrate the starches and keep your gnocchi together! 

I like my Gnocchi to have a little spring and chew to them and these will. I don't like super dense leaden gnocchi on one end of the spectrum, but I HATE the little airy pillows that are referred to as gnocchi on so many menus even more. Gnocchi are "Piatti Povere" or poor people's dish ---designed by Nonni to fill you up cheaply! They need a little body.

	GF GNOCCHI RATIOS
1	pound	Potato meat from baked potatoes
1	cup	rice flour
1/2	cup	tapioca flour
1	tsp	xanathan gum
1	egg

You’ll need about 5 or 6 large russet or Yukon gold potatoes to yield 1 pound of "meat". If you have more, make hash browns tomorrow.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until cooked through. When cool enough to handle, cut in half and scoop out the cooked potato meat. (You can fill the skins with cheese, chili, bacon, or whatever stuff you think would rock and bake as another dish tomorrow.)

It is best to press the potato through a ricer or food mill. If you don't have one, put the potatoes in stand mixer and mix until there are NO LUMPS.  (Note: If you have cooked the potatoes in advance and they are cold, warm them up in the microwave for a minute and they will go through your ricer much easier.)

 Put the all of the ingredients in a mixer in order, one at a time and blend to make a smooth dough or work it on a rice floured surface by hand

Divide into 3 balls. Use rice flour on your surface and using your hands roll out into a ½” thick tube. It takes a little working of the dough but just think Play-Dough! There is no gluten so you can't over work the dough. Just keep working it until you have a nice smooth tube. Cut into ¾ inch lengths and blanch in boiling, well salted water.  Once boiled, coat with a lil oil and store up to 4 days refrigerated, or freeze indefinitely.

Here are two sauces that work well with these hearty potato gnocchi

Tomato Butter Glaze 

1 small can plum tomatoes, squished through your fingers, juice reserved

olive oil

2 cloves garlic, peeled sliced thinly

2 tbls onion, diced small

salt and crushed pepper to taste

Italian parsley, chopped

3 tbls butter 

Grated Grana Padano or Reggianato cheese

In a heavy skillet heat the olive oil. Add the onions and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. When the onions are beginning to become golden, add the garlic and cook until it gets a little golden color as well. Add the tomatoes and their juice all at once and cook at a nice brisk simmer for 15 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by half. Taste. Add salt and a little crushed pepper to taste.

When ready to serve toss cooked hot gnocchi with the warm sauce, add the butter, a handful of chopped parsley and more cheese and toss to coat .

Charred Tomato Amatriciana

6 medium ripe tomatoes

olive oil

1 onion, cut into thin, short strips

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 strips bacon, pancetta or guanciale, diced small

chopped parsley

salt

crushed red pepper

Pecorino cheese

Preheat oven to 400.

Remove the cores from the tomatoes.

Put tomatoes on a cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, until softened but not mush.

Remove from the oven and, using a blow torch, burn all of the skin until it is black and peeling.

Use a heavy skillet here, not a pot.

Add some olive oil and add the bacon. Cook over medium low heat until golden. Keep the fat in the pan.

Add the onions and sprinkle very lightly with salt. and caramelize, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook until golden. Add a pinch of crushed pepper to taste.

Add all of the tomatoes and any accumulated juices.

Turn heat to high. Using a spoon, break up the tomatoes as best as you can.

Cook for 4-5 minutes to “melt” and fold in  lot of parsley.

Toss with the cooked gnocchi.

Add plenty of cheese.

Serve hot!