A modern twist on an Italian classic–Stuffed Gnocchi

The cold weather seems to be holding and this dish from my Arte Italia demo is perfect.  It may become your family’s new comfort food.  We had a variation of these on Super Bowl Sunday, paired with a tomato sauce instead of the eggplant puree.  I love the eggplant puree as a dip for veggies and bread it holds up well (5 days) in the refrigerator, but I do like to serve it a little warm or at room temperature.

Thinking out loud here but I may have to try a sweet version of these, with perhaps a nut, chocolate and mascarpone stuffing served with a berry sauce!

Gnocchi di patate ripieni di caponatina fondente

“Stuffed Gnocchi” makes approximately 75 stuffed gnocchi

For the gnocchi dough you will need;

1 ½ kilo’s / 3.33 cooked potatoes*

600gr / 1.32 # flour

120gr / 4.23 oz parmesan

3 eggs (or 2 eggs for each kilo of potato)

nutmeg

*Yukon gold potatoes, or simular type, older the better, cook in boiling water with skins on, cook till cooked all the way through, remove from water, as soon as you can handle, peel and then “puree” put through a ricer best to do while a little warm

To mix dough;

Spread potaoes out on lightly floured surface

Layer flour, parmesan and eggs on top

Mix together till just combined (do this by hand, mixers work the starch too much best to do while still a little warm)

Divide dough into softball size balls

Roll dough out onto lightly floured surface approximately ½ cm / ¼ inch thick

Cut into round shapes approx 5 cm / 2 inch width

Eggplant and ginger sauce

Roast eggplant (approx 6) smaller size (prevents them from getting to dark while roasting and less seeds) lightly coat with olive oil, roast in 200° oven till cooked all the way through and “meat” is done. Remove from oven, slice in half using a spoon scoop out the inside “meat” and put into a blender.

Skin ginger, using a micro planner grate ginger into chinois (fine sieve) hold ginger over blender and pour approximately ¼ cup water through lightly press down to squeeze essence of ginger into blender

Add a couple pinches of salt

Turn on blender

Slowly drizzle olive oil into eggplant and ginger to emulsify approximately ½ cup

Set aside in a sauce pot (will warm up before plating)

Caponatina / Stuffing (time to practice your knife skills)

Make while potatoes are cooking

All cut brunoise 1/8 x 1/8 x 1/8 inch (approximate amounts)

1 cup shallots

1 ½ cups zucchini - just the peel

1 cup celery – remove “ribs”

1 ½ cups red pepper – peeled, then lay flat and remove inner rib

1 ½ cups eggplant – use just the skin and one layer in if still firm and no seeds

½ cup dried tomatoes

1/3 cup finely chopped pinenuts

1 ½ cup ricotta

¾ cup parmesan cheese

to cook caponatina / stuffing

heat a large sauté pan with oil and garlic flavored oil (hot)

(add in order)

1. shallots and 2 to 3 Tbls sugar stir cook till it starts to thicken a little

2. redwine or sherry vinegar 3 to 4 Tbls  cook till reduced

3. add celery stir cook about one minute

4. add red pepper stir

5. add eggplant stir

6. add pine nuts stir

7. add zucchini stir

8. add dried tomatoes stir

Remove from heat put into bowl, add ricotta and parmesan cheese mix together put into refrigerator to cool down

Whisk a couple of eggs together

Take potato circle and using your finger put a little egg wash on half the circles edge, put approximately 1 mounded tsp of filling on each round.  Fold over pushing filling in and seal edge. Set down on floured surface seam down tuck edges in at ends.

To cook gnocchi;

Drop into salted boiling water till they float then transfer to a warm sauté pan with butter and vegetable stock cook for approximately 3 to 4 minutes sprinkle chopped parsley on top and drizzle garlic oil and a spicy oil on top

To Plate:

Tear drop tomatoes halved and lightly sauted with olive oil salt and pepper

Eggplant ginger sauce

Gnocchi

Put a smear of eggplant sauce on plate, sprinkle tomatoes around sauce, plate 2 gnocchi per plate for an appetizer, 5 to 6 for a main course.