Gluten-Free Gnocchi

Companies are continually improving the taste and texture of gluten-free pastas: I use my husband as a gauge, as I haven't had wheat pasta in a few years. However, there are a few pastas that have yet to be available to the masses in a gluten-free form: ravioli, of which I especially miss pumpkin; tortellini, crave the spinach and ricotta variety; and gnocchi. Gnocchi has a sentimental value for me, as my stepgrandmother, born in Italy, would always have a pot on the stove when we went for a visit. She taught me and my sister how to make gnocchi when I was still in elementary school.

Gnocchi's main ingredient is potatoes—which are gluten-free. It's only the flour that needs to be substituted out. I've made gluten-free gnocchi before (recipe from Celiac.com), and I thought it turned out pretty well. However, I decided to try a recipe in a cookbook that I bought this year: "Healthy Gluten-free Eating".

This recipe used only potato starch as a substitute for the wheat flour—the Celiac.com recipe called for potato starch, corn starch and white rice flour. Making gnocchi is actually simple, (ingredients are mixed together at one time) although a bit time consuming (the cooking of the potatoes, rolling out of the dough and cutting and dimpling of each gnocchi). The first time I made the "Healthy Gluten-free Eating" version, the dough wouldn't hold together when we attempted to roll it out. My husband ended up shaping the dough in the correct dimensions, so that I could cut and dimple them. The end result—I thought not as good as the Celiac.com recipe, but my husband and our guest thought they were quite good. I thought the homemade tomato sauce and parmesan masked the gnocchis negative qualities.

Gluten-free gnocchi and tomato sauce with sausage, onion and mushrooms

Since we get potatoes delivered weekly and never use them all, I decided to make gnocchi a week later. This time I forgot that we needed eggs. As I'd already baked the potatoes, I did some online research and discovered the gnocchi were originally made with only potatoes and flour—no eggs or butter. So, I forged ahead without eggs, and the result was pretty much the same. I'm still not loving this recipe, but one of the problems could be the potatoes we are using—and the potatoes are the most important ingredient. We are using whatever type gets delivered, while every recipe that I've seen calls for a specific type of potato.

I'll certainly be giving gnocchi another go—and I'm thinking of varying the flour from only potato starch. I think that's what makes the gnocchi extra bland.

Gnocchi from Celiac.com
1 kg (2 lb) cooked mashed potatoes
1 cup white rice flour
¾ cup potato starch
¼ cup corn starch
1 tablespoon margarine
1 tablespoon grated parmesan (optional)
2 eggs
salt Mix all ingredients with hands. Knead lightly. Shape small portions of the dough into long "snakes". On a floured surface, cut snakes into small pieces. Place a few gnocchi in salted boiling water. As the gnocchi rise to the top of the pot, remove them with a slotted spoon. Repeat until all are cooked. Cover with hot tomato sauce and serve. You can he re-heat them using a microwave oven.

Gnocchi from "Healthy Gluten-free Eating"
1 kg ( 2 1/4 lbs) unpeeled potatoes, preferably Golden Wonder or Kett's Pink
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
50 g (2 oz) butter
275 g (10 oz) potato starch
Parmesan, freshly grated

The recipe calls for boiling then steaming the potatoes, but Cooks Illustrated recommends baking them, and that's how we do it. Peel potatoes immediately once boiled/ steamed/ baked.

Push peeled potatoes through potato ricer. Add egg yolks, butter, generous pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well to combine and then, slowly stir in half of the potato flour. Knead lightly, ensuring all the flour is evenly distributed. Add more of the potato flour in this manner until dough is firm.

Boil a large pot of water (with a pinch of salt). Form a small piece of dough into a gnocchi size ball. Reduce heat to simmering and cook dough. When it floats to the surface, leave in water for another minute before removing. If the dough is too dry, the gnocchi will be heavy and stodgy. If it is too wet, it will fall apart during cooking. Adjust potato flour and egg balance in remaining dough as needed. Taste gnocchi and adjust seasonings.

Divide potato dough into four equal sections. Lightly potato-flour the work surface and roll out each section to form a log 3/4 in thick. Cut each log into 1 inch sections. Refrigerate pieces for 15-20 minutes to make dough easier to handle. Remove from fridge and gently press the back of the prongs of a fork against each piece. Then curve each piece with your fingers (we always use our thumb).

Place about 15 gnocchi in boiling water. Reduce temperature so water is simmering, and cook as mentioned previously. Remove from pan with slotted spoon and leave to drain thoroughly in a colander (if necessary). cover and keep warm while you cook the remainder.