Gnocchi With Cheese Prosciutto And Basil Recipes

GNOCCHI WITH CHEESE, PROSCIUTTO AND BASIL

Steps:

• Heat olive oil over med.
• low heat and saute garlic until softin a large non-stick frying pan.
• Meanwhile, grate cheeses and slice the prosciutto in strips.
• Tear or chop the the basil into small pieces.
• Cook the gnocchi in boiling salted water as directed on package.
• When cooked, drain gnocchi and add to oil and garlic in pan and toss until pasta is coated with oil.
• Add prosciutto and toss.
• Transfer to serving dish and add cheeses, tossing pasta till coated.
• Garnish with fresh ground pepper to taste and the chopped basil.

GNOCCHI WITH PROSCIUTTO, SPRING PEAS, AND CHANTERELLES

Steps:

• Bring 2 pots, 1 large and 1 medium, with well-salted water to a boil over medium heat. Set up a bowl of well-salted ice water. Blanch the fresh peas in the medium pot of boiling water until they are cooked but still crunchy and then immediately plunge them into the salted ice water. Remove them from the ice water and reserve.
• Coat a large saute pan over medium heat with olive oil. Add the smashed garlic cloves and crushed red pepper. Bring the pan to a medium high heat. When the garlic has become golden brown and is very aromatic, remove it and discard. Add the prosciutto and saute until it starts to get crispy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and season with salt. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes, and TASTE to see if they are delicious (they should be!).
• Add the peas and chicken stock. Season with salt, TASTE IT (it should be more delicious). Simmer until the stock has reduced by about half.
• While the stock is reducing, add the gnocchi to the large pot of salted boiling water. Cook the gnocchi until they float and get very puffy. The gnocchi should be really puffy.
• While the gnocchi is in the boiling water, add the butter to the pan with the mushroom mixture. Cook over low heat and swirl to incorporate. TASTE and adjust seasoning if needed.
• When the gnocchi are cooked, carefully remove them from the cooking water and add them to the pan with the mushrooms. Toss or stir to combine. Cook the gnocchi with mushroom mixture until it clings to the gnocchi. Add the grated Parmigiano and the chopped chives. Transfer to serving bowls and serve immediately.
• Call yourself a superstar!
• Preheat the oven to 375 or 400 degrees F.
• Bake the potatoes until they are fork tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Check them!
• While the potatoes are still hot peel and pass them through a food mill or ricer. (I find that the food mill works just as well as a ricer and is much easier to handle) onto a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. When doing this pay careful attention to keep the potatoes as light and fluffy as possible. This will aid in keeping the gnocchi light. Refrigerate the potatoes on the sheet tray until cold. This is also a very important step. If the potatoes are warm while adding flour they will require more flour which will result in a much heavier finished product.
• When the potatoes are absolutely cold, transfer to a clean work surface. Beat together the eggs and cheese and pour onto the potatoes. Season with salt. Cover generously with flour. It should look like snow on the mountains.
• Crumble the potato flour mixture between your fingers. Begin to knead the dough until it is a dry homogeneous mixture. The dough should feel slightly moist, but not tacky. If too tacky, repeat the snow on the mountains stage.
• Form the dough into a large log. Cut slices off the log and begin to roll into long ropes that are about 1-inch in thickness. Cut the ropes into 1/2-inch lengths. Cover generously with flour. Place the gnocchi in a single layer on a sheet tray dusted with flour. DO NOT PILE ON TOP OF EACH OTHER!!
• Use or freeze the gnocchi immediately. If freezing, place tray directly into the freezer. Once frozen, the gnocchi can be stored in plastic bags, in the freezer, indefinitely. When cooking gnocchi they can go directly from the freezer into salted boiling water.
• Note: It is a general practice to take gnocchi out of the water when they float. This is a big mistake. Gnocchi need to be cooked in boiling water until they float and get nice and puffy. Not cooking gnocchi long enough will also result in heavy gnocchi.
• P.S. These are Chef Anne "Secrets" to great gnocchi, use them and you will be successful every time.

BASIL GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Make the gnocchi: Mix the instant potatoes with 1 cup hot water in a bowl using a fork; set aside until the potatoes absorb the liquid, 3 minutes. Meanwhile, puree the basil and 1/4 cup cold water in a blender until smooth. Stir the basil puree, egg, pecorino and 1 tablespoon salt into the potato mixture.
• Mound 3/4 cup flour on a surface; add the potato mixture and knead together until smooth, gradually adding the remaining 1/4 cup flour. Divide the dough into 3 portions; roll each into a 1-inch-diameter log (dust with flour, if needed). Cut each log into 1/2-inch pieces; place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate while making the sauce (or freeze up to 1 month).
• Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pine nuts; fry until toasted, swirling the pan. Transfer the nuts with a slotted spoon to paper towels and season with salt. Add the shallots and garlic to the pan and cook until soft, 3 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and toss; cook until the tomatoes are just soft, 2 more minutes.
• Cook the gnocchi in a large pot of salted boiling water until tender, about 1 minute after they float to the surface. Drain and toss with the sauce. Top with the toasted pine nuts and more basil and pecorino.

RICOTTA GNOCCHI WITH ROASTED CORN BROWN BUTTER, CRISPY PROSCIUTTO, PARMESAN AND FRESH BASIL

Steps:

• For the gnocchi: Whisk together the ricotta, egg, lemon zest, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt and pepper in a medium bowl until smooth. Add the flour and mix until a soft, slightly wet dough forms, adding more flour if needed. Remove the dough to a lightly floured surface and gently knead until the dough just comes together. Form into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes and up to 1 day.
• With lightly floured hands, shape the dough on a well-floured surface into two 1-inch-thick ropes. Cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces with a lightly floured knife. Arrange in a single layer on a lightly floured parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the gnocchi, in batches if needed, until they float, 2 minutes. Drain well.
• For the corn sauce: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the garlic, shallots and chile and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the corn and saute for 5 minutes.
• Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil and cook until the corn begins to soften, about 10 minutes. Remove the corn to a blender with a slotted spoon and add 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Blend on low speed, pulsing a few times, until smooth, adding more liquid if necessary to create a sauce consistency.
• Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook until warmed through and thickened, about 15 minutes.
• For the prosciutto: Heat the oil in a small saute pan until it begins to shimmer. Fry the prosciutto one slice at a time until crisp, about 1 minute.
• Remove the prosciutto to a plate lined with paper towels and season with pepper. Let cool slightly and crumble into pieces.
• To serve: Melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat until it begins to turn a light amber color. Add the drained gnocchi and cook until lightly golden, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Spoon some of the sauce into shallow bowls and top with the gnocchi. Garnish with shaved Parmesan, crumbled prosciutto and basil.

CRISPY GNOCCHI WITH BURST TOMATOES AND MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• Heat the broiler with a rack about 6 inches from the heat source.
• In a large (12-inch) skillet on the stovetop, heat enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan (about 1 tablespoon) over medium-high. Add half the gnocchi to the pan, breaking up any that are stuck together. Cover with a lid or baking sheet and cook, undisturbed, until golden brown on one side, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Repeat with the remaining gnocchi and olive oil.
• Add the butter to the skillet and cook over medium-high, stirring often, until golden-brown and toasty, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the garlic, red-pepper flakes, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper, reducing the heat slightly if necessary to avoid scorching. Add the tomatoes and 3 tablespoons water and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the tomatoes have softened and the liquid has slightly thickened, 4 to 6 minutes. Smash the tomatoes as they burst to help them along.
• Add the seared gnocchi and 1/4 cup basil (if using), stir to coat, then shake into an even layer. Top with the mozzarella and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Broil until the cheese is melted and browned in spots, 2 to 4 minutes. Top with more basil, red-pepper flakes and black pepper as desired.

BAKED GNOCCHI WITH BLUE CHEESE AND PROSCIUTTO CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring cream to the boil in a small saucepan, then simmer for 2min or until slightly reduced.
• Add blue cheese to pan, season to taste with pepper, reduce heat to low-medium then cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3min or until cheese has melted (don't worry if mixture isn't completely smooth).
• Spread the gnocchi over the base of a large baking dish, scatter with prosciutto pieces then pour over the blue cheese sauce. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and parmesan.
• Bake in 180oC oven for 15-20min or until sauce is bubbling and crumbs are golden.

CHEF JOHN'S BASIL RICOTTA GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Briefly blanch basil leaves in simmering water, about 20 seconds. Transfer immediately to a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking. Drain on towels. Place basil in bowl of a blender. Add eggs. Blend until basil is blended in and mixture achieves an even green color with flecks of basil.
• Place ricotta in a mixing bowl. Add basil/egg mixture, salt, cayenne, Parmesan cheese, and flour. Thoroughly mix together using a spatula; whisk mixture to ensure ingredient are evenly blended. Cover and refrigerate until chilled and firm, about 2 hours.
• Scoop out a small portion of dough using a teaspoon. Using a second spoon, shape into a rounded oval. Repeat until you have enough gnocchi for a batch, about 6 or so.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a simmer. Drop shaped gnocchi in batches into pot as you form them. After a minute or so they will rise to the surface. Continue simmering until they spring back to the touch when you remove one from the water to test it, 2 to 3 more minutes. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon to cool. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Optional step: Melt butter in a skillet until bubbling. Add cooked gnocchi and brown on each side. Serve with a dusting of grated Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of the butter from the pan.

GNOCCHI ALLA VODKA WITH GROUND BEEF

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water to boil. Add gnocchi and cook until floating, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water.
• Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-low heat; add shallot and garlic. Gently cook until shallot has softened and garlic is fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Turn heat up to medium and add the ground sirloin, salt, and red pepper flakes. Add in tomato paste. Allow tomato paste to caramelize. Pour in vodka and deglaze the pan by bringing sauce to a boil while scraping the browned bits with a wooden spoon. Let simmer for 5 minutes.
• Pour cream into the pan and stir until the paste has completely incorporated. Allow to gently simmer until the sauce begins to thicken, 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle in 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and stir until it melts.
• Add drained gnocchi to the pan along with reserved 1/2 cup water. Serve topped with basil leaves.