Whole Wheat Gnocchi
17/11/2023Whole wheat gnocchi are a more rustic and nutritious variant compared to the classic version of potato gnocchi. Here’s how you can prepare them:
Ingredients
- 1 kg of potatoes
- 250-300 g of whole wheat flour (the amount can vary depending on the moisture of the potatoes)
- 1 egg (optional)
- Salt to taste
Preparation
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Start by boiling the potatoes with their skin on in plenty of salted water until they can be easily pierced with a fork. Cooking the potatoes with the skin on helps to prevent them from absorbing too much water, which would make the dough too moist.
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Once cooked, drain them and let them cool slightly. Then peel them and pass them through a potato ricer directly onto a clean work surface.
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Add a pinch of salt to the crushed potatoes and, if you choose to use it, add the egg to better bind the mixture.
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Begin to gradually add the whole wheat flour, kneading with your hands until you get a homogeneous mixture that is not too sticky. Be careful not to overwork the dough or the gnocchi could become hard.
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Take portions of the dough and form long, thin cylinders, then cut them into pieces of about 2 centimeters. If you wish, you can give the gnocchi the classic ridged shape using a fork or a gnocchi board.
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Cook the gnocchi in plenty of salted water and wait for them to float to the surface, a sign that they are ready (it will take about 1-2 minutes).
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Lift them out with a slotted spoon and dress them as you like with your favorite sauce.
Whole wheat gnocchi are ideal with vegetable-based sauces or light gravies, precisely to enhance their whole grain flavor. A simple sauce of fresh tomatoes or a light cream of pumpkin or spinach can be an excellent accompaniment.
Curiosity
Gnocchi are a very ancient dish that in its most primitive forms could date back to Roman times. In the past, they were made with a mixture of flour and water. The introduction of potatoes to the Old Continent revolutionized the recipe, giving life to the potato gnocchi we know today.
