Mama Zuquinis Gnocchi Cavofiore Recipes

MASCARPONE AND LEMON GNOCCHI

Steps:

• For the gnocchi: In a large bowl, combine the mascarpone, egg, egg yolk, nutmeg, lemon zest, Parmesan, and salt. Using a hand mixer, beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Gradually beat in 3/4 cup flour until the mixture forms a soft dough.
• Sprinkle a pie pan or rimmed baking sheet with flour. Using 2 small spoons, drop 1 teaspoon-sized pieces of dough into the pie pan. Shake the pan gently to cover the dough with flour. Gently roll the pieces of dough into oval shapes.
• Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a simmer. In batches, carefully add the gnocchi. The gnocchi should sink and then float to the top. As soon as the gnocchi begin to float, cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Drain and place in a large serving bowl.
• For the sauce: In a small saucepan, warm the oil and salt over medium-high heat for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the basil. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
• Add the sauce and cheese to the gnocchi and gently toss until coated.

NONNIE'S GNOCCHI WITH FRESH MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Scrub the potatoes well and pierce in several places with the tip of a knife. Bake on a baking sheet until cooked through, about 1 hour. Set aside to cool.
• Once they're cool enough to handle, peel the potatoes and pass the flesh through a ricer or the finest holes of a food mill. Place 1 1/2 cups of the flour on a clean work surface and put the potatoes in the middle. Season with the salt. Knead the potatoes and the flour together until it's a smooth ball of dough that's slightly sticky. If the dough is too sticky, add more of the remaining 1/2 cup flour gradually to achieve the smooth consistency.
• Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and cover 3 of them with a dampened kitchen towel. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the uncovered piece of dough into a 1-inch-thick rope. Cut into 3/4-inch pieces. Turn a fork over and hold at a 45-degree angle, with the tines touching the work surface. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll it down the fork tines, pressing with your thumb to make ridges on one side. Place on a large baking sheet lined with a kitchen towel. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add half the gnocchi and cook until they bob to the surface of the water. Transfer to a shallow bowl and cook the remaining gnocchi.
• Serve the gnocchi warm with the Marinara Sauce. Top with shaved Parmesan and garnish with chopped basil.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until starting to shimmer. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the butter until melted. Remove from the heat and add the chopped basil.

GRANDMA'S GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool slightly, and peel. Season with salt, then mash potatoes with fork, masher, or in ricer. Place in large bowl, and stir in egg and olive oil. Knead in enough flour to make a soft dough.
• On a floured surface, roll dough into a long rope. Cut the rope into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Drop in gnocchi, and cook until they float to the top, about 3 to 5 minutes. Serve with pasta sauce.

MAMA ZUQUINIS MALFATTI

Steps:

• Place the frozen spinach in a saucepan with the salt. Cook until thawed (15 min) over low heat. Drain squeezing out the water from the spinach and then mince until fine.
• In a large bowl, combine the spinach, breadcrumbs, the two cheeses, eggs, the herbs, the nutmeg and black pepper. Mix well and refrigerate overnight.
• When ready to make, form oval dumplings 3 inches long and about 1 inch in diameter. Roll each dumpling in the flour. Do not let them touch each other while they stand.
• Bring the salted water to a boil. Drop the dumplings into the salted water to form one layer. When they have risen to the surface, cook for 4 more minutes.
• Lift out the cooked malfatti, letting them drain well, and place into a well-buttered oven proof dish in a 250 degrees F oven while the other batches cook.
• To serve, toss with butter and serve. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and 1 cup marinara per person.
• NOTE: can be frozen after cooking. To serve, toss frozen malfatti in melted butter and Parmesan cheese, place in a well buttered dish and heat in a 350 degree F oven for 30 minutes.

GNOCCHI CAVOFIORE

Steps:

• For the gnocchi: Starting in a large pot of cold water, bring the potatoes to a gentle boil. Cook slowly until tender when pierced with a knife. It is important to use a large volume of water and to cook the potatoes as slowly as possible. This "lazy boil" takes approximately 1 hour.
• While still hot, peel the potatoes with a spoon. Mash or preferably run through a ricer onto a sheet pan and allow to cool and dry. Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly with potatoes. Add the flour and mix by hand. Take a handful of mixture and rub palm-to-palm to create a cohesive softball-sized sphere. Place on a lightly floured surface and roll into a long cylinder just under 1 inch in diameter. Cut in 1-inch-long gnocchi, then lightly flour to avoid sticking. Repeat with remaining mixture.
• Drop the gnocchi into salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain in a colander and let cool.
• For the cavofiore: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cut the top off the garlic bulb, then place the bulb in a small oven-safe dish and pour 1/2 cup of olive oil over it.
• Roast in the oven until soft and caramelized, about 30 minutes.
• Remove the garlic from the oil. In a large skillet, saute the cauliflower in the oil from the roasted garlic until the cauliflower starts to brown. Add 1/4 cup water and remove from heat. Squeeze garlic bulb to remove the tender cloves; add them directly to the skillet. Then add the gnocchi, heavy cream and Parmesan, and mix. Bring back up to heat.
• Stir until the sauce is hot and the cheese has completely melted.

HOME-MADE GNOCCHI WITH MORNAY SAUCE

Steps:

• To make Mornay Sauce: Heat butter. Add flour and stir in 2 cups milk. Cook until thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk in 3/4 cream to thin sauce and add 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese.
• To make Gnocchi: Melt 1/3 cup butter in 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk. When butter has melted, season with salt and pepper. Remove saucepan from heat and add in 1 cup all purpose flour all at once. Whisk until smooth. Return saucepan to heat and, with a wooden spoon, cook until the mixture sizzles and comes away from the sides of the pan. (You are making a panade). With a rubber spatula transfer to a baking pan and immediately cover surface with plastic wrap so that a skin does not form. Cool to room temperature. Transfer cooled mixture to a bowl and work in, one at a time, 4 large eggs. Do not add the next egg until the first is entirely absorbed. When all the four has been incorporated add 3 1/2 ounces grated Gruyere cheese.
• To cook Gnocchi: Bring water to a boil. Fill a pastry bag, fitted with a 3/4 inch tip with gnocchi mixture. Rest metal tip of pastry bag on edge of pan and press the dough out. As 1/2 inch of gnocchi dough emerges, with a knife cut off dough and let it fall into the water. Do in batches of 20 or 30. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then remove gnocchi to a cloth towel with a slotted spoon.(gnocchi will deflate as they cool).
• To bake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put some Mornay on bottom of a shallow gratin dish and arrange gnocchi in one or, at most, two layers. Spread remaining sauce over top, spreading it evenly. Sprinkle top with 1/4 cup grated Gruyere and bake for 45 minutes or until gnocchi have swollen up again and absorbed sauce. Serve immediately before gnocchi deflate.

MAMA ZUQUINIS PASTA ARABICA

Steps:

• Heat oil over medium-high heat in large saucepan until hot. Add onion; cook 3 to 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute or until fragrant.
• Add tomatoes, broth, salt, cinnamon, coriander, pepper and cloves to saucepan; bring to a boil. Add choice of meats. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in mint.
• Add sauteed zucchini and yellow squash for a side dish.

MAMA ZUQUINIS ZUPPA RUSTICA

Steps:

• Combine pasta, water and bouillon in large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cook, stirring frequently, for 8 to 10 minutes or until pasta is tender and broth has reduced to about 1/2 cup; do not drain. Reduce heat to low; add pesto.
• Cook, stirring frequently, until sauce has reduced slightly. Stir in tomatoes, broccoli and beans. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Sprinkle with cheese before serving. Season with ground black pepper, if desired.

GNOCCHI WITH TOMATO SAUCE AND MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat; cook onion until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add passata and salt; simmer over low heat while you prepare the gnocchi.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook gnocchi in the boiling water until they float to the top, 2 to 4 minutes. Drain.
• Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.
• Pour 1 ladle of tomato sauce into the bottom of a baking dish. Add gnocchi, remaining tomato sauce, and Parmesan cheese; toss to combine. Arrange cubes of mozzarella cheese evenly on top.
• Place baking dish in the oven and broil until mozzarella cheese is melted and sauce has slightly reduced, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and garnish with basil leaves before serving.

MAMA ZUQUINIS SUGO DI VITELLO

Steps:

• Ask butcher for veal rib or thigh bone. Wash well, leave submerged under running water for 30 minutes. Be sure all blood is washed off or it will darken the sauce.
• In medium saucepan, put the well-dried bones, the garlic cloves and half the olive oil. When garlic becomes transparent, remove and discard. Add remaining oil and allow to become hot. Add ground veal. Stir and cook well.
• Add wine. Scrape bottom of pan with wooden spoon to remove any residue; continue cooking over medium-high heat until wine has evaporated, less than 5 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, stir well.
• Allow sauce to boil vigorously for several minutes. Reduce heat to medium. After 1 hour, add salt and white pepper to taste.
• Remove bones and discard. If the tomatoes have any bitter taste, add some fresh basil but remove it before sauce is served. Cook 1 to 1 1/2 more hours, or until sauce reaches desired consistency, occasionally stirring gently. Serve over 1 cup cooked pasta per serving.

GNOCCHI WITH SAUSAGE, ZUCCHINI, AND TOMATO

Steps:

• Heat a large straight-sided skillet over medium-high. Swirl in oil, then add sausage and cook, breaking up pieces with a wooden spoon, until beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and cook until they start to break down and release their juices, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook gnocchi in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain. Transfer gnocchi to skillet and toss to coat, adding pasta water as needed to create a silky sauce. Season to taste. Stir in pesto, sprinkle with basil, and serve immediately.

MAMA ZUQUINIS GNOCCHI CAVOFIORE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the top off of a large bulb of garlic and place the garlic bulb in a small oven safe dish and pour 1/2 cup of olive oil over bulb. Roast in oven until soft and caramelized. This takes about 30 minutes.
• Boil enough salted water to cook gnocchi according to package directions.
• Drop gnocchi into boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain in colander and let cool.
• Remove garlic from oil and set aside. In a large skillet, saute cauliflower in the reserve oil from the roasted garlic until the cauliflower starts to brown. Add water and remove from heat.
• Squeeze garlic bulb, removing the tender meat and add directly to skillet. Add gnocchi, heavy cream and Parmesan. Mix. Bring back up to medium heat. Stir until the sauce is hot and the cheese has completely melted.