Gnocchi (homemade gnocchi) are one of the most famous and loved Italian dishes. For some they are a real obsession — I am one of them and I absolutely adore them! Do you love gnocchi too? If, like me, you’re really crazy about them, here is a perfect recipe to surprise your guests with an original taste and presentation: purple potato gnocchi! Purple potatoes, native to Peru, have a flavor similar to hazelnut or chestnut and are rich in nutritional properties. Their mealy flesh is ideal for many preparations such as gnocchi and purée. The final appearance of dishes made with purple potatoes is truly surprising and original; pairing the gnocchi with a sauce that contrasts in color makes the result even more enticing. Want to try making purple potato gnocchi yourself? Let’s go to the kitchen — you’ll see the recipe is very easy. Before we get started, remember that if you want to stay updated on new recipes you can follow my Facebook page (here) and my Instagram profile (here).
Also check out:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Rest time: 10 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 5
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients to make purple potato gnocchi
- 2.2 lbs purple potatoes
- 2.5 cups re-milled durum wheat semolina
- 2/3 cup grated Parmesan
- to taste salt
Tools
- Pots
- Bowls
- Gnocchi board
Steps to make purple potato gnocchi
Rinse the potatoes, put them in a pot and cover them with water, add salt and cook; depending on their size it may take 30–40 minutes.
Do the skewer test: pierce them and if they’re soft they are cooked. Alternatively — and this is the method I recommend to obtain drier potatoes that will absorb less flour — cook them in the microwave in a steamer suitable for microwave use or in a bowl covered with plastic wrap with half a cup of water, for 20 minutes.
Let the cooked potatoes rest for 10 minutes, then peel them and mash them while still hot with a potato ricer or food mill, then gather the mash onto the work surface.
Make a well and add 360 g (about 2 1/4 cups) of semolina and salt, mix and add the grated cheese.
Work the mixture until you obtain a smooth, homogeneous and compact dough that is not sticky.
Divide the dough into portions, flour the work surface and with the remaining semolina roll out ropes about 1 inch thick, then cut them into pieces about 3/8 inch long.
Gnocchi are good as they are, but to make them perfect you should add one more step: score them with a gnocchi board or with a fork.
Once all the gnocchi are ridged, place them on a floured cloth.
At this point you can arrange them on a tray, freeze them and once firm transfer them to a food bag. Cook them as needed by dropping them directly into plenty of boiling water.
If you want to cook the gnocchi immediately after making them — which is ideal — bring a pot full of salted water to a boil and drop them in.
They will quickly float to the surface and will be ready to be dressed, for example by sautéing them in a pan with butter and sage and finishing with Parmesan and some of the cooking water.
Be careful when stirring so they don’t fall apart.
