Gluten Free Gnocchi with a Fresh Tomato Sauce

When I was a student in Rome, every Thursday was gnocchi day. All the little pasta shops had gnocchi as their special of the day, and even though the container looked too small to be enough for lunch, we all dubbed the after effects at the "gnocchi coma." Gnocchi can be very heavy and can really knock you out Thanksgiving turkey style, but it can also be quite light. I had the idea to try gnocchi with gluten-free flour, since gnocchi is already potato based and doesn't solely depend on flour for its texture. It is a great way to make gluten-free pasta that feels like the real thing. A note about gluten-free flour - there are many choices and each comes with pros and cons. For this recipe I used Bob's Red Mill gluten-free baking flour, the texture is good but there is definitely a slight flavor difference to regular flour. I plan to test this recipe with a few more flour choices and will report back.


Gnocchi, for those of you who aren't familiar, are essentially little potato dumplings. They have as many variations in terms of method and ingredients as there are grandmothers in Italy. I plan to explore more diverse gnocchi styles in the future, but to start, here is a basic gnocchi recipe that can be used in a wide variety of applications.




     Recipe
2 baking potatoes (russets are good) about 12 ounces each
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
3/4 cup gluten-free flour (sweet rice flour is good for this) 
1/4 cup grated pecorino for garnish


     Sauce
1 small carton of grape or cherry tomatoes sliced in half lengthwise (about 20 tomatoes)
1/4 cup sliced Cerignola olives (these are the very green olives, they are fresh and less salty)
1/2 cup boconcini (small mozzarella balls) sliced in half
2 cloves crushed garlic
olive oil
handful of fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook the potatoes until soft, you can either microwave them for 12-15 min (remember to fork all over to avoid explosion) or boil for 45 minutes.


2. While they are still warm, peel the potatoes and put them through a potato ricer, or mash well with a fork until the lumps are gone.


3. Gently mix in the egg, salt and pepper, then sift in the flour and mix until the dough begins to come together. Knead the dough gently until it is dry to the touch.


4. Divide the dough into balls about the size of a golf ball, the roll into 3/4" ropes, and cut into 1" pieces. Roll each piece down the back of a fork to create the traditional ridges, these help grab sauce and also make the gnocchi look special.


5. Cook the gnocchi in salted boiling water for about 3 minutes, or until they float to the surface. Cool immediately in an ice bath, drain, and toss with the sauce.


6. For the sauce, heat olive oil in a pan at medium heat, add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.


7. Add the tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes until the tomatoes begin to break down. Add the olives and cook for another minute. Salt and pepper to taste.


8. Then add the cooked gnocchi, mozzarella, and basil. I like to put a little grated Pecorino on top of this once its on the plate to be served.