HOW TO MAKE STRINGY GNOCCHI ALLA BAVA with cheese that doesn’t break apart.
GNOCCHI ALLA BAVA are a rich and flavorful first course typical of the Aosta Valley in which cheese is the real star.
As with all traditional recipes there are some variations on the classic version both in the choice of cheese (Fontina, Raschera or Toma) and for the gnocchi themselves: in the Aosta Valley they are potato-free gnocchi made with a mix of flours (buckwheat and 00 flour), whereas in Piedmont the more classic POTATO GNOCCHI are used.
The dish gets its name (not exactly the most appetizing at first glance!) from the characteristic strands of melted cheese and is usually served on holidays and for Sunday family lunch.
What we’ll prepare today is the version I usually eat in the mountains in Piedmont with my family, based on Potato Gnocchi and Raschera, but at the end of the recipe you’ll also find ingredients and instructions to prepare the typical Aosta Valley gnocchi.
Making Gnocchi alla Bava is absolutely easy and quick and doesn’t require special cooking skills as long as you follow a few simple rules to avoid the inevitable mistake lurking around the corner: letting the cheese break apart, which at that point is irrecoverable! But don’t worry — below I’ll explain in detail how to melt it and avoid that problem.
Once the gnocchi are prepared, or purchased ready-made, all that remains is to coat them in this indulgent melted cheese sauce and serve immediately while still hot, finishing with freshly ground black pepper if you like. For a more aromatic flavor, season with fresh sage leaves or grate nutmeg at the end instead of black pepper.
Now let’s get to work! If you love gnocchi, check out these recipes as well.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 50 Minutes
- Cooking time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 1,176.79 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 129.76 (g) of which sugars 7.56 (g)
- Proteins 34.23 (g)
- Fat 59.64 (g) of which saturated 19.35 (g)of which unsaturated 10.41 (g)
- Fibers 9.05 (g)
- Sodium 2,184.77 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 250 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2.2 lbs potatoes
- 2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour (00)
- 1 tbsp salt
- 28 oz potato gnocchi (alternative)
- 9 oz fontina (or Raschera)
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream (liquid)
- to taste black pepper (freshly ground)
Tools
- Pot
- Hand whisk
- Small saucepan
Method
IMPORTANT BEFORE STARTING: If you want to obtain a creamy, stringy cheese sauce and avoid the cheese from “breaking apart” it must not be cooked directly on the stove. Once the cheese has broken apart it is irrecoverable! To prevent this from happening, just follow a few simple precautions that I will explain in the recipe.
For this recipe you can comfortably buy ready-made Potato Gnocchi if you don’t feel like or don’t have time to make them at home. But if you want to try making them yourself here are the ingredients and method at THIS LINK.
First, put the cheese on a cutting board and remove the outer rind. Then cut it into horizontal strips and then dice into very small cubes. Put the heavy cream in a small saucepan and heat it (it must not reach a boil), then turn off the heat, remove from the stove and add the cheese. Stir immediately and quickly with a hand whisk and let the cheese sauce rest off the heat for 5 minutes. After that time give it a quick stir so that any remaining small pieces of cheese melt completely.
Meanwhile, fill a pot with water, salt it and bring to a boil. As soon as it reaches the boil, add the gnocchi. They will be cooked after about 3-4 minutes — when the gnocchi are ready they will float. Drain them with a skimmer and transfer them immediately into the melted cheese. Stir well so the gnocchi blend thoroughly with the sauce. Don’t wait to serve them — enjoy them immediately while very hot.
HOW TO MAKE BUCKWHEAT GNOCCHI
To prepare the GNOCCHI you will need: 2 cups all-purpose flour (00), 2 cups buckwheat flour, 1 1/8 cups water, a pinch of salt.
METHOD: Put both flours and the salt in a bowl and mix with a spoon. Start incorporating the water little by little while stirring with a spoon and work until you obtain a soft, homogeneous dough. Wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest for 1 hour at room temperature. Take the dough and divide it into rolls about 5/8 inch thick (about 1.5 cm), then cut the gnocchi with a knife. If you have a gnocchi board, use it to give them the classic gnocchi shape.
STORAGE
Gnocchi alla bava should be eaten as soon as they are made. They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days in an airtight container, but they will not be the same, so I do not recommend it.
Uncooked gnocchi can be frozen if placed in appropriate food-grade bags.
NOTES
CREAM: For this recipe long-life (UHT) cream is not suitable. The only cream to use is the liquid heavy cream found in the refrigerated dairy section.
CHEESE: Traditionally Fontina or Raschera is used for this recipe, but a semi-aged Toma will also work.
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