Homemade Gnocchi in Gorgonzola Sauce

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Gnocchi in Salsa di Gorgonzola

“The future ain’t what it used to be” and today’s post is the proof. You may have noticed last week’s “Coming Soon …” photograph depicted a recipe called “Jack BRICKhouse CHICKEN” and, as a result, you may have deduced that was to be today’s recipe. Well, guess again. That recipe is scheduled for next week — has been all along — and cannot be rescheduled for reasons that will become apparent in the post. I must admit that it came as a surprise for me to learn that I cannot read a calendar and my newly found malady did leave me in a bit of a lurch for this week’s post. All’s not lost, though, since I’ve a bagful of recipes from my recent visit with Zia from which to choose. Because so many of you were interested in my family’s risotto, I set to work writing that recipe and blog entry. All was going swimmingly until Saturday morning when I noticed that Stefan, of Stefan’s Gourmet Blog, posted his recipe for Risotto with Peas & Mint. The very next day, Nick, of Frugal Feeding, posted his recipe for Tomato and Basil Risotto. That’s when I began to rethink my post. The third and final blow was struck when Paul, of That Other Cooking Blog, posted his recipe for Risotto al Nero di Seppie (squid ink risotto). Deciding that my post could be postponed a bit, I went back to the bag of recipes from my visit home and pulled out today’s gnocchi recipe. Even so, if all of this talk of risotto has you yearning for the creamy rice dish, be sure to check out those 3 recipes and, while you’re at it, spend a little time looking around each blog. You will not be disappointed.

One of the first things we kids were allowed to help make in the kitchen were gnocchi. Mom and Zia would make the dough and then hand us a piece to roll into a log, though we called them snakes. With a butter knife we were taught how to cut the snake and, depending upon the gnocchi’s use, we might even have been allowed to try to roll them across a fork’s tines to make the grooves. By “use” I mean whether dinner guests or family were to dine on the fruit of our labor. Mom always put her best gnocchi forward for company and she took charge of the groove-making, reshaping any malformed gnocchi along the way. Unlike today’s recipe, however, Mom’s gnocchi were always served with her meat sauce.

Although I’ve enjoyed gnocchi with gorgonzola at restaurants, I never thought about replicating the recipe at home until several years ago. My Entertainer Friend mentioned how much he enjoyed gnocchi with bleu cheese and I thought I’d come up with a recipe and treat him. Over the years, I’ve tried a number of variations, using several spices and herbs, and eventually switched from bleu cheese to gorgonzola, but I always came back to the simple recipe I’ll share today. It’s yet another example of “Less is More.” As for my Entertainer Friend, now that I’ve reminded him, I’d better start planning that gnocchi dinner.

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Gnocchi in Gorgonzola Sauce Recipe

yield: roughly 1.5 lbs (680 g)

Ingredients

  • 2 large russet potatoes, once cooked, peeled, & riced = 18 oz (510 g) (See Notes.)
  • 2 cups (10.2 oz; 290 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 large egg, slightly beaten
  • corn meal or additional flour for dusting surfaces
  • 5 oz (142 g) gorgonzola, crumbled, more or less to taste (See Notes)
  • 1/2 cup (118 ml) heavy cream, more or less to taste
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • grated or flaked Pecorino Romano cheese for garnish — Parmigiano Reggiano may be substituted

Directions

To make the gnocchi

  1. Pre-heat oven to 400˚ F (204˚ C). Use a fork to pierce the potatoes numerous times.
  2. Place potatoes on center rack and bake until cooked, from 50 to 60 minutes, depending upon potato size.
  3. Meanwhile gather the other ingredients. Allow the egg to come to room temperature.
  4. Once cooked, remove potatoes and set aside until they can be safely handled.
  5. Slice each potato in half, lengthwise, and use a spoon to scoop out all of potato, reserving the skin for some other purpose.
  6. Run cooked potatoes through a ricer or food mill. (See Notes.)
  7. Use the riced potatoes to create a mound on a floured work surface. Make a well in the center of the mound, as you would when making pasta dough.
  8. Sprinkle the top of the well’s walls with 3/4 cup of flour. Place the egg in the center well after the potato has cooled enough so that the egg won’t cook.
  9. Using a fork, slowly combine the potato & flour with the egg. Once the dough renders the fork useless, continue mixing the dough with your hands.
  10. The dough should come together within 4 to 5 minutes. It will be ready when it is firm and a little moist-to-the-touch without being tacky. Add more flour as needed but remember: the less flour used, the better.
  11. Form a ball with the dough and divide it into fourths.
  12. Take one-quarter and divide it in half. Roll one of the sections into a log with a width of your preference. We normally roll them about an inch (2.5 cm) thick — the width of an index finger.
  13. Use a sharp knife or board scraper to cut the log into segments, each 1/2 (1.3 cm) to an inch (2.5 cm) long.
  14. If grooves are desired: Flour the back of a dinner fork, place a segment at the top of the tines, use your finger to roll it over the tines, creating gnocchi with grooves on one side and a dimple where your finger rolled it.
  15. If grooves aren’t wanted: Use a finger to push and roll each segment across the work surface, creating smooth surfaced gnocchi with dimples where you’d placed your fingers.
  17. Place the gnocchi on a lined baking sheet that’s been dusted with flour or corn meal.
  18. If not going to be cooked within a few hours, place the gnocchi-covered baking sheet in a freezer and once the gnocchi are frozen solid, place them in containers/bags suitable for freezer storage.

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Groovy
Smoooothe

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To cook the gnocchi

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil over high heat.
  2. Once the water boils, add the gnocchi and stir gently.
  3. When the water resumes boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and notice when the gnocchi begin to float. This should only take a couple of minutes when fresh and a few more when the gnocchi are frozen. Gnocchi will be ready about 1 minute after the last start floating. If in doubt, taste one.

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To prepare the gorgonzola sauce

  1. While waiting for the water to boil, heat the cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat.
  2. Once the cream is hot, add the gorgonzola and stir until melted. Taste and adjust, adding more cream or gorgonzola to suit your own taste. If you prefer, you can add a bit of the water used to cook the gnocchi to thin the sauce without adding more cream.
  3. Don’t forget to taste and season with salt & pepper, if required.

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To assemble and serve

  1. Use a hand strainer — “Spider” strainer — to remove the gnocchi from the boiling water and place in the serving bowl. Add the gorgonzola sauce and mix gently until all are coated.
  2. Serve immediately, garnished with grated/flaked Pecorino Romano cheese.

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Variations

Like most Italian dishes, there are many recipes around for making gnocchi. No matter which recipe you choose to follow, 2 rules will apply. 1) The fluffier the smashed/riced potato the better, and, 2) the less flour the better. Keep those 2 rules in mind and you’ll be well-rewarded with a most palatable platter of puffy potato pillows rather than the much less than spectacular spud scuds.

One popular variation for preparing gnocchi is to bake them before serving. Follow the directions above for making and cooking the gnocchi, as well as making the gorgonzola sauce. Use all the sauce to dress the gnocchi and place in a baking dish. Top with grated cheese or bread crumbs that have been moistened by olive oil or butter. Bake in a 375˚ F (190˚ C) pre-heated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until hot & bubbly with a golden brown topping.

Even after being reduced, some may want a thicker sauce. (Bear in mind it will thicken once taken off the heat and begins to cool.) If you want a very thick sauce, you can start by making a roux. Melt 2 tbsp of butter in a small sauce pan. Add an equal amount of AP flour and whisk until fully blended. Allow to cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Do not let the roux darken or it will color your cheese sauce. Add the half the cream and whisk till incorporated. Add the remaining cream and keep whisking as it heats and begins to thicken. Once thickened, about 5 minutes, add the gorgonzola and keep whisking until melted. If too thick, you can adjust by adding more cream or some of the water used to cook the gnocchi.

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If they’re all identical, no one will believe you made them.

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Notes

Much like making pasta, making gnocchi is not an exact science. The moisture in the potatoes, the size of the egg, the humidity, and even the brand of flour can all affect the amount of flour required. As was mentioned, use as little flour as possible to create a firm, slightly moist-to-the-touch dough that isn’t at all tacky.

I used 2 large russet potatoes that weighed 26.8 oz (760 g). Once baked, peeled and riced, they weighed a total of 18 oz (510 g). For accuracy I weighed the flour, starting with 2 cups or 10.2 oz (290 g). When I was finished, the remaining flour weighed 4 oz (114 g), meaning I used a little over 1 cup of flour for a little over a pound of riced potatoes. Lastly, to determine the yield, I weighed the frozen gnocchi before bagging. Your yield may vary due to the above-mentioned factors.

Not everyone has a potato ricer or food mill and I seriously doubt that my Nonnas had either one. They used a large fork to smash the potatoes and there’s no reason you can’t do the same. You can, also, use a potato masher or a box grater, if need be. Just be sure to use a fork to fluff the smashed potatoes as much as possible before proceeding.

It had been some time since I last made this dish when I prepared it for Zia. As a result, I misjudged and used a full cup (236 ml) of heavy cream with 5 oz (142 g) gorgonzola. That resulted in a very runny sauce. Thankfully, gnocchi was to be our primo piatto so I was able to reduce the sauce to the consistency I wanted without affecting the rest of the dinner. Today’s recipe uses half the amount of cream I used for that dinner.

It’s not a bad idea to have extra gorgonzola and cream on-hand the first time you make this sauce, just in case your idea of the perfect gorgonzola sauce differs from mine. You can add more cheese or cream, as required.

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It’s déjà vu all over again … 

Blueberry

I don’t care what the weatherman says. The calendar says it’s June and that means it’s ice cream season. Time to dust off the ice cream machines and get those canisters into the freezer. Now I’ve shared several ice cream recipes but this one, blueberry swirl cheesecake, is Number One among family, friends, friends of family, and families of friends — but don’t take our word for it. Try it for yourself. You can find the recipe by clicking HERE.

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Coming soon to a monitor near you … 

Jack BRICKhouse CHICKEN

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204 thoughts on “Homemade Gnocchi in Gorgonzola Sauce”

  1. I’ve been known to mix up calendar dates too… Gnocchi has been on my to make list for a while, and a riceer is on my kitchen wish list… hhmmm, the gorgonzola sauce may just get me moving. Risotto is very “in” at the moment… I like it but homemade gnocchi wins hands down 🙂
    Hope that big storm didn’t impact you.

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    • Thanks, EllaDee. These were the first gnocchi we’ve made in some time and I’d forgotten how really easy they are to prepare. When you make them, I think you’ll be surprised. The severe part of the storms pretty much missed us in the city. Some suburban areas got hammered, though. More are expected Saturday night. We still haven’t settled into Summer weather yet. Once we do, I hope the worst of these storms will disappear. Fingers crossed.

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  4. Well you know this one is one of my favorites. There’s few things better in my book than homemade pasta and gnocchi is at the top of my list. Now if we could just get ours to look as pretty as yours! I’ve never tried gnocchi at home with anything other than our vodka cream sauce. It is incredibly heavy though and I wonder if we would eat more gnocchi if we had some other lighter sauce options. I don’t think Mike would like the gorgonzola sauce, but I bet I could come up with some lighter, creamy options. He would for sure like the meat sauce though. Delicious John! You and Zia ate like kings and queens that week. It sounds like the perfect getaway to me. 🙂

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    • Thanks, Kristy. Yes, we did eat like there was no tomorrow. We usually do OK but that week was beyond all expectations! Although this sauce isn’t heavy, it is incredibly rich. I wouldn’t be able to eat a portion larger than a starter (primo piatto). If Mike doesn’t care for gorgonzola, maybe he’d like a parmesan cream sauce instead. We’ve served them with pesto and a blogger friend followed my recipe and dressed them with a hazelnut pesto. Is the sauce too heavy of the gnocchi? If you think it’s the gnocchi, try using less flour. That will definitely lighten them up a bit. Good luck! 🙂

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  5. Looks delicious as always! I use my crinkle cutter to get the ripple on my gnocchi. 🙂 Trying my pie dough roller once too.

    Don’t worry, during summer vacation, I cannot keep my days and dates straight! You’re in good company!

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    • Thanks! Yo are so crafty! I never would have thought to use either to make the grooves. 🙂
      Maybe we with calendar recognition problems could start a support group. We’d have a devil of a time scheduling meetings, though. 🙂

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  6. As always I have enjoyed reading your post John – from the change in recipe topic (I look forward to reading about the risotto) to reading the story and recipe for gnocchi.

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  7. How nice John! They look fantastic. we dont eat gnocci very often at home, I don’t know why, maybe because I didn’t have the proper recipe for them…until now. Thanks for sharing, my friend! 🙂

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    • You are very welcome, Giovanna. We haven’t made gnocchi ourselves for quite some time. It was a bit of a surprise to see how really easy and quick it was to make them. It won’t be nearly as long before I make them again. 🙂

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  8. Liked the pictures of the Gnocchi though to a rookie like me, the recipe appears way too complicated.

    I wonder what is it that makes a food connoisseur like me avoid cooking altogether.

    Shakti

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    • It’s really not at all hard to do. I broke the process into simple steps. You should have no problems following them. Honestly. 🙂
      Thanks for the visit and for taking the time to comment.

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  10. Less is more!! especially when you already have goodness locked up. Now seeing your wonderful gnocchi reminded me that Liz has not made any homemade pillows of happiness for me in a long long time. I think I’ll clear a space for her in the kitchen, leave the ingredients you’ve provide and hint away. 😉

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    • Thanks, Jed, but will your plan really work? I’ve a feeling she’s just as likely to walk into the kitchen, size up the situation, and ask, “What are YOU making for our dinner?” Either way, good luck! 🙂

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  11. John, can I just come over and have you make me some gnocchi and pasta or whatever you want to make from your family’s table? Your dishes are always so delicious looking and makes you feel so warm inside. Another fabulous recipe!

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  13. I love homemade gnocchi. In fact, I have made them today and will serve them to my kids who will return from school shortly. LOVED the way you made your gnocchi, and with that sauce, John, it is just mind-blowing! I appreciate the tips you mentioned for a good gnocchi dough. Thanks!

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    • I’m so glad you enjoyed this post. I hope your children liked the gnocchi you prepared for them. When I was a boy, a gnocchi dinner was a real treat! Thanks for visiting and leaving such a nice compliment.

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  15. Bravissimo!! Gnocchi are very hard to make! I remember once trying to make sweet potato gnocchi and it was a mess, but after trial and error, I got them right!! The dish you just made is what I call comfort food: rich soft potato dumplings with a velvety cheese sauce & a touch of ground pepper on top!!

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    • Thank you so much, Ambrosiana. Of course there’s pepper on top. I wouldn’t have it any other way. 🙂
      The best part of these gnocchi was being able to make them with Zia. We had a wonderful afternoon together that day..

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  16. Yum John. I love stinky old gorgonzola (in fact we enjoyed some recently on pizza with sauteed leek). Your gnocchi looks fabulous. Especially love the close-up shot. I’ve been planning a post on pumpkin gnocchi, and yes – the ‘snake’ rolling is my son’s favourite task! Like your mum though, I do the rolling and shaping if the final product is for guests (or indeed, for photographing)!

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    • You Mums all think alike when it comes to gnocchi! And we “boys” do love our snakes.
      I think I’ve inherited my Dad’s love of stinky cheese. I never understood it when I was a boy but how things have changed in just “a few” years.

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    • Thanks, Kathleen. I try to write these recipes for the benefit of the youngest members of my family. They don’t have the teachers I had, so, I try to break everything down into easy-to-follow steps.

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    • Thanks, Eleni. No matter how many times I’ve tried to improve this sauce, I still come back to this “recipe.” It’s embarrassingly simple but oh, so very good! 🙂

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    • 🙂 The work surface doesn’t matter. Over the years, I’ve made gnocchi on whatever clean, hard surface that was available. Most of these photos were taken at Zia’s home when I visited her last. That board is at least 40 years-old and has been used countless times to make every pasta you can imagine. In a couple photos you can see my pasta board. I bought a piece of butcher block countertop at Lowe’s and added trimming so that it would snugly fit one end of my dining room table. It’s light enough to move around but I keep it there unless I’m expecting visitors. 🙂

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    • Thanks, Sawsan. The longest part of the process is prepping the potatoes, Once you get them baked, cooled, peeled, and riced, the rest goes pretty quickly. There’s no need to knead the dough or let it rest like with bread or pasta dough. Just make your snakes, cut them, and get groovy. 🙂
      Good luck!

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  23. Sitting here having a dish of your strawberry cheesecake ice cream…didn’t have Graham cracker for the crumble….added a drizzle of balsamic cream instead……Yum! Need to get a new ice cream maker…have an old cheap one and came out a little icy….tastes good though…

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    • I’m glad you tried and enjoyed the ice cream. I like the drizzle of balsamic you added. yum! Do try it with the crumble, though. It really does give the ice cream that cheesecake feel. The strawberries can get a bit icy because of their water content. Someone suggested a little vodka to help prevent that, saying it was in a Cooks Illustrated recipe. I’ve not tried that yet.

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  24. I love reading about how you spent time in the kitchen and garden as a boy! I love gnocchi, but it seems to complicated to make at home. I am not a big fan of gorgonzola cheese, but your recipe makes it look so inviting!!

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    • Thank you and you shouldn’t feel that gnocchi are too difficult to make. It really is a simple process. Don’t worry about the gorgonzola, either. You can dress you gnocchi with pesto or a tomato sauce with or without meat. You can make these. All you need is some time.

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  25. I’m sure the result is very rewarding but… wow, those gnocchi look like they would be a very time consuming project. I’m very impressed! I don’t think I’d have the patience for it… I love the gorgonzola sauce that goes with your amazing homemade pasta!

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    • You’d be surprised, Amber, at how really easy this is to make. The langest part of the process is baking the potatoes and waiting for them to cool enough so that they can be handled. After that, the dough is a cinch to make and the gnocchi couldn’t be easier to form. Look at it this way, I’ve made them 2 more times since the time Zia and I sat together to make them. Now, if they were that difficult, I doubt I would have made them once in that time frame, let alone twice.
      Thank you for taking the time to go back and read some of the recent posts and comment upon each one. 🙂

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  26. The intricate nature of your recipes is awe-inspiring, John! Your dishes always look beautiful and masterfully created. This gnocchi is certainly no exception. The lucky people who get to share your meals!

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