The gorgonzola and walnut gnocchi is a classic autumn dish that combines the strong flavor of gorgonzola with the crunchiness of walnuts. The best result is achieved with fresh homemade potato gnocchi and by following a few tricks to enhance the flavor of the sauce at its best.
If you don’t like walnuts, you can follow the recipe for the delicious fresh gnocchi with gorgonzola cream.
If you love autumn recipes, don’t forget to check out these recipes:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 5 Minutes
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
- Energy 427.93 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 20.72 (g) of which sugars 4.28 (g)
- Proteins 13.28 (g)
- Fat 32.47 (g) of which saturated 15.17 (g)of which unsaturated 8.14 (g)
- Fibers 1.53 (g)
- Sodium 916.45 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 200 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 for 2 people:
- 14 oz potato gnocchi
- 3 oz gorgonzola
- 1 oz walnuts
- 1/4 cup milk (or fresh cream)
- 1 tsp butter ((optional))
- to taste salt
Tools:
- 1 Pot (with 3-liter capacity)
- 1 Pot (with 1.5-liter capacity)
- 1 Pan 8.5-9.5 inches in diameter
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
Preparation
Gorgonzola is the ingredient that gives the dish its taste; if you prefer a sweeter and milder flavor, use sweet gorgonzola; for a more robust taste, I recommend using spicy gorgonzola.
Bring a pot of abundant salted water to a boil in which you will cook the gnocchi.
If you have some time, I recommend making fresh gnocchi; if you’re in a hurry, you can get good results with packaged gnocchi that withstands better sautéing in a pan or longer cooking.
Shell the walnuts and finely chop the kernels using a mortar or cutting board. Do not chop them too finely; the gnocchi are soft, so the crunchiness of the walnuts helps make the dish more enticing.
Tip: divide a few walnuts into quarters without chopping them to use for decorating the final dish.
Toast the chopped kernels in a pan over high heat; there’s no need to add fats or oil.
Toast the kernels in a hot pan, this way they will become crispy and aromatic. The heat from the pan warms the essential oils that give flavor and aroma. The walnuts should be crispy but not burnt, or they will have a bitter aftertaste.
If you have the oven on for other recipes, you can toast the walnuts at 300°F for 5-10 minutes to achieve an even toasting without burning.
Put the milk or cream in a saucepan and bring it to a boil, then remove it from the heat and add the gorgonzola, allowing it to melt gently.
Tip: if you want a thicker cream, add a little butter to the saucepan.
It is important not to cook the gorgonzola, or you will accentuate its bitter note. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of milk (or cream) in the pan and mix.
Put a large pot on the heat with water and salt and bring to a boil. To speed up the process, cover with a lid.
When the water boils, pour in the gnocchi and cook them. The gnocchi are ready when they float to the surface. Drain them with a colander, being careful as cooked gnocchi are quite delicate.
Sauté the gnocchi in a pan or the pot where you cooked them with the gorgonzola cream, using a pan for a quick toss. It only takes a few seconds to combine the ingredients; prolonged cooking may overcook the gnocchi.
The cooked gnocchi are very delicate; mix and toss them in the pan so you don’t have to use spoons or forks. Once cooked and mixed, serve them on a plate and finish with a sprinkle of chopped walnuts.
Your gorgonzola and walnut gnocchi are ready!
Plating Tips:
To present the gorgonzola and walnut gnocchi at their best, finish the dish with gorgonzola cream and decorate with walnuts. For the top decoration, I recommend using whole walnuts cut into quarters as in the recipe photo.
Wine Pairing for Gorgonzola and Walnut Gnocchi:
Pair the wine according to the cheese used. Spicy gorgonzola requires a red wine that is well-structured, warm, generous, and aged like Barolo.
If you used the “sweet” version, you can pair it with aromatic white wines like Gewürztraminer and Riesling.
