Gnocchi recipes to beat winter’s chill

Gnocchi are a pulse-quickening dish, handmade and a little fussy. They are the best of all things—a little crispy on the outside and pillow-fluffy on the inside. They are delicious sauced and garnished to the hilt, and equally enticing right out of the sauté pan with just a hint of salt and butter or olive oil. They are the little black dress of the pasta world, and are a celebration on a plate. 

I have seen gnocchi vacuum sealed sitting on a shelf as well as in the freezer aisle. I know you already know that homemade is the way to go. 

The vacuum-sealed gnocchi have preservatives and chemicals in them that you cannot, nor would you want to, purchase at the store. The frozen product are likely made from dehydrated potatoes. Those flakes also contain preservatives and flavor enhancers. No, thanks! 

Homemade gnocchi are versatile; you can easily double the recipe and freeze them, ready to be turned into entrees, side dishes, and soup dumplings anytime. Dazzle your friends and family with light-as-a-feather dumplings for your cozy meals. 

Potato Gnocchi 

Using baked potatoes yields a lighter and fluffier gnocchi versus boiled potatoes. I use yolks instead of whole eggs, for a cakey dumpling. The egg whites would make the dumplings wet and with a crispy texture. Be sure to rice your potatoes while hot. Once they cool down, all the steam gets reabsorbed into the potato, and the gnocchi will be heavy and dense. 

Serves 3-4 

3 pounds Russet potatoes, scrubbed and pierced with a fork 

3 egg yolks, whisked 

¾-1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted 

Sea salt 

Equipment: baking sheet, wire rack, potato ricer, bench scraper, parchment paper liner baking 

sheets for uncooked and cooked gnocchi 

Preheat oven to 425°F 

1. Place a wire rack over a baking sheet. Bake potatoes on rack (this will keep the potatoes from becoming overcooked and hard) until fork-tender, about 45-60 minutes. 

2. Cut hot potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out flesh. Press potato flesh through ricer directly onto a clean work surface.  

3. Sprinkle egg yolks over potato mixture and dust with about ½ of the flour. Gather the potato mixture into a log and sprinkle with additional flour.  

4. Flatten mixture into a rectangle and sprinkle with flour. Roll into a log and add more flour if necessary. Avoid kneading the dough like bread, as that will form tough and heavy gnocchi. 

5. Cut gnocchi dough into 4 even pieces. Lightly dust work surface with flour and roll a piece of dough into a rope about ½ inch thick. Cut segments of dough with a bench scraper and place on lined baking sheet. Dust cut gnocchi with flour. Continue with remaining dough. 

6. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer. Add a small amount of gnocchi to water and simmer until the gnocchi float to the top, and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Transfer to lined baking sheet. Continue with remaining gnocchi. Do not pile the gnocchi on top of each other, as they will stick together. 

Gnocchi can be frozen, wrapped for up to 3 months or stored, covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 

Lemony-Pepper and Sage Gnocchi 

This recipe casts the gnocchi in the starring role. Lightly caramelized potato dumplings enhanced with butter or olive oil and lemon are sure to win applause. This is a classy dish in a comfort-food costume…or is it the other way around?! This showstopper should be in your recipe ensemble.  

Serves 4 

3 tablespoons butter or EVOO 

1 batch gnocchi 

Zest and juice of 1 lemon 

6 fresh sage leaves or favorite herb (parsley, basil, thyme work well) 

¼ cup ricotta cheese (optional) 

½ cup parmesan (optional) 

1. Heat butter or olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Brown gnocchi, in batches, until crispy and golden on both sides. Transfer to a bowl. 

2. Add lemon zest and juice, sage leaves to the pan and cook until sage is crispy (about 2 minutes). 

3. Add gnocchi back to the pan and toss with ricotta if using. Coat gnocchi with the lemon and remaining butter or oil.  

Transfer to a serving platter or individual plates. Garnish with crispy sage and parmesan if using. 

Gnocchi with Spicy Calabrian Chili and Tomato Sauce 

I like to lightly sauce my gnocchi; if you like more, go for it. But I can’t just pair homemade gnocchi with ordinary red sauce. This one is full of flavor. 

I love Calabrian chilies, an Italian chili with a delicious fruitiness (chilies are fruit!) and with a fair amount of heat. The trick is to take advantage of the delicious fruitiness while not allowing the heat to take over (unless you like a lot of heat). I add the chilies to the pan when heating the olive oil and allow the oil to become mildly flavored. I further build flavor in the oil by toasting freshly cracked black pepper, anchovies, tomato paste, garlic and finally dried herbs. 

In the summer, I use fresh herbs, but in winter, I lean on dried herbs to flavor my tomato sauce. Then I add tomato puree and chopped tomatoes—and the surprise ingredient of orange zest and juice. This modern addition of orange in tomato sauce balances the acidity with brightness and touch of sweetness. You can omit the orange, but I urge trying it for a POP of bright flavor that enhances the sauce. 

1 batch gnocchi 

EVOO for browning gnocchi and for sauce 

1 teaspoon (or more) chopped Calabrian chilies or Calabrian chili puree 

4 cloves garlic, sliced very thinly 

4 anchovy filets, chopped finely 

2 teaspoons tomato paste 

½ teaspoon dried oregano 

½ teaspoon dried basil 

½ teaspoon dried marjoram 

½ teaspoon dried rosemary 

1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper 

2 28-ounce cans or jars of crushed tomatoes or tomato puree (I like a mix for smooth and chunky texture) 

Zest and juice of 1 orange (optional) 

Sea salt to taste 

Garnishes: parmesan cheese, finely minced flat leaf parsley 

1. Heat enough oil in a large sauté pan, over medium heat, to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Brown gnocchi in batches until golden on both sides. Transfer gnocchi to a platter or bowl. 

2. Add a small amount of EVOO to the pan over medium heat. Add Calabrian chilies, garlic, anchovies, tomato paste, and black pepper. Stir mixture over heat until anchovies have “melted” into the oil, tomato paste has darkened, and pepper has a toasty fragrance (about 3 minutes). 

3. Add dried herbs and stir into mixture. Add tomatoes, zest, and juice if using. Simmer sauce over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about ½ and the sauce is thick. Season with sea salt. 

4. Heat gnocchi in a pan and toss with sauce.  
Note: You can use all the sauce, but if you like your gnocchi lightly sauced, leftover sauce can be stored, covered in the fridge for up to 5 days or frozen for 1 month. 

Serve Gnocchi with parmesan cheese and finely chopped flat leaf parsley. 

Gnocchi with Sauteed Swiss Chard and Garlic 

This version is a delicious and gorgeous side dish for fish, chicken, and beef. I use colorful Swiss chard and sauté the stems separately, then sprinkle them over the top. 

Serves 4 

EVOO 

1 batch gnocchi 

1 bunch rainbow Swiss chard, stemmed and leaves chopped, stems cut into very thin segments 

4 cloves garlic, minced 

1 lemon, zested 

Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper 

1. Heat enough oil in a large sauté pan, over medium heat, to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Brown gnocchi in batches until golden on both sides. Transfer gnocchi to a platter or bowl. 

2. Heat a small amount of EVOO over medium heat. Sauté stems and garlic over medium heat just for a minute until garlic is fragrant. Transfer to a bowl. 

3. Return pan to the heat and add a small amount of EVOO. Sauté Swiss chard leaves until wilted and very soft. Add lemon zest, gnocchi, and stems back to the pan. Stir to combine. 

4. Season with salt and pepper.  

Laura Frankel—a noted kosher chef, and cookbook author—serves as Director of Culinary Operations at Tamarisk NorthShore. She is also a product development specialist and has worked as culinary director for a media company.