GLUTEN-FREE CHICKPEA GNOCCHI

Gluten-Free Chickpea Gnocchi image

How to make fluffy ricotta gnocchi that's also gluten-free? The secret is chickpea flour! These tender Italian dumplings are a cinch to make -- zero rolling, shaping or resting time required. It's great fun to pipe the dough into the pot; if you don't have a pastry bag, you can use a resealable plastic bag with the corner snipped off.

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Time 30m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

Kosher salt
One 15-ounce container whole-milk ricotta (about 2 cups)
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups chickpea flour (see Cook's Note)
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced

Steps:

Fill a large pot with water and salt generously. Tie a piece of butcher's twine tautly from one handle to the other across the center of the pot. Bring the water to a boil.
Meanwhile, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, nutmeg, eggs, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl. Add the chickpea flour and mix until just combined. The dough should be slightly sticky. Do not add any more flour or overwork the dough, as this will make it tough.
Fit a large pastry bag with a large round tip, about 3/4 inch wide. Alternatively, snip one corner of a large resealable plastic bag with scissors to create a 3/4-inch-wide opening. Fill the pastry bag with the gnocchi dough; set aside.
Melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium-low heat until foamy, 2 to 4 minutes. Continue to cook, swirling the pan often, until the butter is light golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the sage and cook until the butter is toasty brown (similar in color to graham cracker crumbs) and the sage is crisp, about 1 minute more. Remove from the heat.
Holding the pastry bag over the boiling water, lightly squeeze the bag to release a 3/4- to 1-inch piece of dough, then rub it across the string to "cut" it off. Continue until you have made about 15 gnocchi. Cook until they float to the top and are warmed through, 60 to 90 seconds. Do not walk away from the pot or overcook them; the lack of gluten in the chickpea flour makes them very tender, and they will fall apart if boiled for too long. Transfer to a serving bowl and cover with foil to keep warm. Continue with the remaining gnocchi dough (you will have about 4 servings).
Spoon some of the butter and sage mixture over each bowl and serve warm.