Gnocchi Verdi with Prosciutto

When I go to a new Italian restaurant I will usually judge the quality of their food by how good their gnocchi are. I have never been very good at making gnocchi myself so it was something I looked forward to when I went out. Well that has finally changed. I have finally learned how to make soft, light, pillowy, gnocchi by microwaving the potatoes instead of boiling them. The enemy of gnocchi is water. Less is better. If the gnocchi dough is too wet you will need to add extra flour which makes them heavy.

Makes 6-8 servings

Gnocchi Ingredients

2 ¼ lb Idaho or Russet Potatoes, skin on (be exact)

5 oz Frozen Chopped Spinach (thawed & cooked)

2 ¼ C All-Purpose Flour, plus extra for the board

¼ C Grated Parmigiano or Romano Cheese

1/8 tsp Freshly Grated Nutmeg

1/8 tsp table Salt

1 Lg. Egg

 

Sauce Ingredients

½ C Extra Virgin Olive Oil

¼ Lb. Proscuitto (chopped fine)

3 Cloves Garlic (minced)

¼ C Grated Parmigano or Romano Cheese

Place exactly 2 ¼ pounds of washed Idaho potatoes on a microwaveable plate and pierce the potatoes with a fork to let the steam out. It is critical that you have as close to 2 ¼ pounds of potatoes as possible or it will throw off the entire recipe, use a scale. Place the potatoes in the microwave on high for 10-14 minutes or until they are fork tender. Let them cool to room temperature.

Place half a box of frozen chopped spinach (5oz) and 1 tablespoon water into a 1-quart covered casserole dish. Cover and cook 7 minutes in the microwave on high, stirring once half way through. Place the cooked spinach into a strainer and press out all of the water (see photo). Note: you can cook the entire box and save half for another meal.

Slice the potatoes in half and scoop out the potatoes using a tablespoon (see photo) and discard the skins. Using the large holes on a box grater shred the potatoes onto your work surface.  Add the chopped spinach to the potatoes and mix well, it will be very wet (see photo). Add the flour, Parmigiano, salt, nutmeg and egg and knead until smooth. Be patient here. You will need to mix for several minutes. At first it will feel dry but as you knead it, the water from the potatoes will hydrate the flour and it will come together. Add a little flour if it is sticky. Let it sit for ten minutes to finish hydrating.

Cut the dough into 10 equal pieces. Take each piece and place it on a lightly floured board. Using the palms of your hands, roll out the dough into a long log or rope (see photo). Roll out from the middle, stretching the dough as you go until it is ½ to 1 inch thick (see video). Cut each log into ½ inch pieces. Roll a fork over the top of each piece to form grooves. Place the gnocchi on a floured cookie sheet.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add 1 tablespoons of table salt.

To make the sauce, heat the olive oil over medium high heat until shimmering. Add the chopped proscuitto and stir until it starts to crisp. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Pour the sauce into the bowl that you will use to serve the gnocchi.

Add the gnocchi to the pot. As soon as they float to the surface remove them with a slotted spoon or spider scoop and put them into the serving dish with the sauce. Mix together with the sauce then add ¼ C of Parmigiano or Romano cheese to the top.

 

If you are not cooking them the same day, place them on a cookie sheet in a single layer and freeze them. Put them into the boiling water frozen, do not thaw them before cooking.

To print a copy of this recipe go to Gnocchi Verdi.