Gnocchi Dokey

Maybe one of the easiest things to make that you don't need to tell anyone is easy is gnocchi. There are a ton of recipes out there for gnocchi. This is one I came up with.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Gnocchi

2 3/4 cups Organic Whole Wheat Flour
15 oz Pureed Pumpkin - Savory NOT Sweetened( I roasted a pumpkin in large pieces brushed with olive oil and lightly sated and peppered at 350 for 45 minutes and then pureed it.)
1/2 tsp salt

Add salt to flour and mix. Mix in pumpkin until a soft dough is formed. If you need to add a little water or flour to get the dough right do it. Knead the dough in the bowl for a couple of minutes. Cut into fourths. Take each piece and roll it out until it is 1/2 inch thick. Once the dough is all in long pieces cut into 1 inch pieces. It should make about 72 gnocchi.

Add gnocchi to sated boiling water. Once the gnocchi are all floating at the top - boil for one more minute and then drain.

Done! Like I said, Easy!

You can sauce this gnocchi however you like. I just mad a Mushroom Ragout (pronounced ragu) for mine, but Olive oil infused with rosemary, sage or thyme topped with some good Parmesan or Romano is very nice as well.

Mushroom Ragout ala Paully

1 medium Yellow Onion
3 Cloves Garlic
Olive Oil
3-4 cups Crimini Mushrooms - I like to quarter them so they are nice and chunky.
28 oz of good quality Organic Tomatoes
1/3 cup fresh basil minced
Balsamic Vinegar - optional
salt and pepper to taste

Saute onion in olive oil and then add mushrooms. Mushrooms will squeak when they are cooked. Add garlic - minced - and then add Balsamic vinegar. Allow the vinegar to reduce by 2/3s . Add tomatoes and allow to cook until the sauce thickens to marinara thickness. Toss in basil and the cooked gnocchi and allow the pasta to cook with the sauce for 1-2 minutes. Serve with good hard Italian cheese. Enjoy!

If you don't like mushrooms swap out eggplant or squash or brocolette or whatever you do like.

More soon....