Gnocchi

[SpaceOP]

I have never cooked gnocchi but want to think about adding it to my repertoire for feeding bottomless pit teenage ds and dh!

What brands should I be looking out for or things on packaging? Feel clueless.

My Italian friend makes her own- mashed potato, flour and eggs. Those are the only ones I've liked. Any shop bought ones, IMO, have been heavy and stodgy. I did see a recipe where they were boiled then fried till crispy on the outside, which did look appealing.
I can't help I'm afraid, but a hopeful bump to someone that can.

If buying, I just get it from Lidl.

You can make your own, the first time is a bit scary. I often do extra potatoes/ root vegetables so I can make it the next day.

My gnocchi tip is to roast (I actually do it in the air fryer) rather than boil. It's so much better. We use the Dell Ugo fresh gnocchi.

Make them
1kg floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper, King Edward
100g 00 flour, plus extra for dusting

Bake potatoes cool
Take potato out of skins and put through ricer or mash, put in bowl and season sprinkle over flour, knead together lightly (you can add a bit pf parmesan)
roll into sausages, chop, put fork print on if you wish boil until float

I buy the chilled ones from the supermarket and cook in a pan, fry them til they are crispy with garlic, chorizo, mushrooms spinach and cream. So yummy!

I like this recipe - I usually add red onion and chicken (roast onion and chicken for 20 mins before adding the rest of the ingredients, https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/gnocchi-traybake-with-lemony-ricotta

Great tip, will try - I tend to panfry but air frying sounds better!

Buy the chilled ones.

Oil in roasting tray. Gnocchi, peppers, chunks of red onion, halved mushrooms. courgettes if you like them. Shake it around with some herbs. Add a packet of feta, over which you drizzle honey and more herbs. Roast.

I use supermarket fresh version and cook in the air fryer, works a treat!

We like the Rana filled gnocchi, you just pan fry it on a low heat so it goes soft and gooey in the middle and crunchy on the outside, cooks in about 5 mins. I try to take it out of the fridge a bit before so it can come to room temperature, or I microwave it for a minute before putting it in the pan, otherwise it can be difficult to get the inside soft before the outside is charcoal.

I was in a small shop so got the non fresh stuff but will check.out fresh.

Theoretically could make them myself but realistically- unlikely.

Having properly read this thread, I am suspecting that the stuff I bought will be a disaster. Everyone is saying roast it, buy fresh and I've got a vacuum packed long-life version from the pasta shelf! :)

I think I'm going to have to experiment!

Definitely buy it fresh and pan fried is best, even if you want to bake it after. It really needs to crisp up in butter otherwise is a bit glutinous. I just have it pan fried in butter with bit of garlic and then salt, pepper, chilli flakes and lots of freshly grated Parmesan.

Will still be good and can be pan or air fried, then add pasta sauce, or butter with garlic and herbs

What kind of sauce?

We boil it with broccoli florets, drain, make a stilton cheese sauce and put into the airfryer until the top is golden. It's our go to easy comfort dish.

I have made gnocchi, I even bought a gnocchi board. It's quite easy, a fork will do the same job as the board but as my partner cooks the above dish he buys fresh gnocchi.

We love it here but the fresh section stuff rather than vacuum packed is 100% better. My ds loves boiled and my dh loves fried (we do air fryer for ease and pan fried when time!) I’ve never been bothered enough to cook from scratch. At Aldi in the fresh pasta section I often have to search behind all the pasta to find!

I do this starting from step 5 with chilled gnocchi.
I think I'd boil (or boil, drain and the fry) the shelf stable ones tho.

Had a friend at uni who used to make her own gnocchi. They were a different (and equally delicious) beast - bit like the difference between fresh and dried pasta.

I've never managed to replicate it, but I've also had a lovely cheesy baked gnocchi before - a bit like a macaroni cheese.

I’d love to hear more about that Stilton sauce, or indeed any other sauce for a baked gnocchi dish.

That sound delicious. How long do you roast for?

It’s a few months since I last did it and I can’t remember, sorry. Probably 20 to 30 minutes?

Pan fried gnocchi with broccoli, rocket and parmesan 😋





I just use the gnocchi from the chilled section in Sainsbury's, it's nice enough. We often have the following between 4 of us (3 adults and one 11 year old)
500g gnocchi
Garlic purée
500g cherry tomatoes cut in half
Large bag baby spinach
Diced chorizo
Tablespoon of chipotle chilli flakes
Large ball of mozzarella
Salad leaves

Cook gnocchi in boiling water as per pack
Drain gnocchi and meanwhile fry cherry tomatoes, chilli flakes, chorizo and garlic in pan until chorizo releases oil and tomatoes have softened
Add spinach handful at a time until wilted
Add gnocchi back into pan and stir to combine
Pour mixture into oven dish and place sliced mozzarella evenly over the top
Bake in oven for about 15 minutes until mozzarella has melted
Serve over salad leaves

Forgot the picture!

That’s great, thanks!