Best Green Gnocchi With Peas And Fresh Sage Butter Recipes

SPINACH GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake potatoes until tender, about an hour. Immediately split them open to let the steam escape. When you can handle the potatoes, scoop out their flesh.
• While the potatoes bake, roughly chop the spinach. Put the oil in a small skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the spinach, season to taste, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and wilted, about 5 minutes. Rinse under cold water and squeeze dry. Transfer to a food processor and purée until smooth.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Pass potato flesh through a ricer or food mill, stir in the spinach purée, and season to taste. Sprinkle 1/4 cup flour on a clean counter or cutting board, and knead the potatoes with it, sprinkling in the remaining 1/2 cup flour, until the dough just comes together. Pinch off a piece of the dough, and boil it to make sure it will hold its shape. If it does not, knead in a bit more flour (no more than necessary), and try again; the gnocchi will float to the top and look a little raggedy when ready.
• Roll a piece of the dough into a rope about 1/2-inch thick, then cut the rope into 1/2-inch lengths. Score each piece by rolling it along the tines of a fork; as each piece is ready, put it on a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper; do not allow the gnocchi to touch one another.
• Add the gnocchi to the boiling water a few at a time, and gently stir; adjust the heat so the mixture doesn't boil too vigorously. A few seconds after they rise to the surface, the gnocchi are done; remove them with a slotted spoon or mesh strainer, and finish with any of the following sauces: Tomato Sauce: Cook a small chopped onion in olive oil until soft. Add minced garlic, 3 to 4 cups of chopped tomatoes, canned or fresh, and salt and pepper. Cook at a steady bubble until ''saucy.'' If the sauce becomes too thick, add a splash of the gnocchi cooking water before serving. Garnish with torn basil and/or grated Parmesan. Brown Butter, Sage, and Parmesan: Put 4 tablespoons butter and a handful of fresh sage leaves (40 wouldn't be too many) in a skillet over medium heat. Cook until the butter is light brown and the sage is sizzling, about 3 minutes. Toss with the gnocchi, some of their cooking water and loads of grated Parmesan. Olive Oil and Garlic: Put at least a tablespoon of minced garlic in a puddle of olive oil, along with (optional) red-pepper flakes and/or chopped anchovies. Cook until the garlic just turns golden (but no more than that). Toss with the gnocchi, some of their cooking water and plenty of chopped parsley. Bacon and Cream: Cook some chopped bacon, prosciutto or pancetta in a bit of olive oil over medium-low heat until nearly crisp. Stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream and a lot of pepper. Let the cream thicken slightly before adding the gnocchi.

GREEN GNOCCHI WITH PEAS AND FRESH SAGE BUTTER

Steps:

• Bake the potatoes in their skins until tender when probed with a paring knife, about 40 minutes. (Potatoes may also be boiled in their skins, then removed from the pot and slashed to release steam.) Peel the potatoes while still warm, discard the peels and weigh the flesh; you want exactly 1 pound. Force the potatoes through a ricer, food mill or medium-meshed sieve into a mixing bowl.
• Add 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup parsley, pecorino, nutmeg, pepper and salt. Mix with fingers to form a mass, then knead very briefly to make a smooth ball, just one minute or so. Be careful not to overwork the dough or the gnocchi will be tough. Make a couple of preliminary half-inch ovals and boil in well-salted water to check the texture. Let them bob to the surface and cook for about 1 minute. If they hold their shape, proceed to the next step, otherwise add a little more flour to the dough. It may require a full cup of flour.
• Divide the dough into 4 pieces. On a clean counter or cutting board, roll the dough pieces into footlong logs, approximately 1 inch thick, dusting with additional flour as necessary. Cut each log into 18 to 20 gnocchi. If desired, roll each of the gnocchi over the tines of a fork to make the traditional ridged oval shape (otherwise, random small pillow shapes are fine).
• Sprinkle a baking sheet liberally with flour and line up the gnocchi in one layer, making sure they don't touch. Now sprinkle flour lightly over the top of the gnocchi and leave at room temperature, uncovered, until ready to cook. Fill a large, wide pasta pot with water. Add salt liberally and bring to a rapid boil.
• Put 2 cups of water in a small saucepan for cooking the peas and bring to a brisk simmer. Cook the peas briefly until just done, then drain. Melt the butter in a wide deep skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and sage leaves and let them sizzle without browning, then turn off the heat.
• Add the gnocchi one by one to the boiling water. Carefully stir as the gnocchi begin to bob to the surface. You may do this in batches if your burner is not strong enough to maintain a rapid simmer. Cook for 60 to 90 seconds, until tender (semolina gnocchi will take about 2 minutes), then transfer cooked gnocchi to the butter sauce using a wide skimmer.
• Add the cooked peas and a little salt and pepper and gently toss everything together with a large spoon. Pour into a warm low-sided ovenproof serving vessel. If desired, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Parmesan and run under the broiler till lightly browned. Garnish with the chopped parsley and scallions. Serve with plenty of grated Parmesan, and spoon some of the sage butter over each portion. Pass the pepper mill.