Chickpea Flour Gnocchi

I’ll be happy to help you with a recipe for chickpea flour gnocchi. These gnocchi are a great gluten-free alternative to traditional potato gnocchi and have a deliciously rustic flavor thanks to the chickpea flour. Here’s how to make them.

Ingredients

• 250 g of chickpea flour
• 250 ml of water
• Salt to taste
• A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
• (Optional) Aromatic herbs to taste, such as rosemary or sage, to flavor

Preparation

1. In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
2. Lower the heat and pour the chickpea flour into the water, stirring vigorously with a whisk to avoid lumps.
3. Continue stirring until the mixture begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, forming a compact ball.
4. Remove the dough from the heat and let it cool slightly until it can be handled with hands.
5. Sprinkle some chickpea flour on a work surface and transfer the dough.
6. Divide the dough into portions and roll each portion with your hands to form long, thin cylinders.
7. Cut the cylinders into small pieces to form the gnocchi and, if desired, you can press each gnocco with a fork to give the classic ridged pattern.
8. Boil a pot of salted water and once boiling, cook the gnocchi until they float to the surface, indicating they are ready (usually this takes 2-3 minutes).
9. Drain the gnocchi with a slotted spoon and dress them as you like with a sauce or with a simple condiment like butter and sage or oil and Parmesan cheese.

Trivia

Chickpea flour is widely used in Mediterranean cuisine and is not only used to make gnocchi or pasta but also for vegetable omelets, flatbreads, and, in Italy, for the famous Ligurian farinata, a sort of very thin and crispy tart baked in the oven. These gnocchi are an example of how chickpea flour can be used creatively to offer unexpected and tasty dishes.