I have never liked gnocchi until I made it myself and now I’m hooked. I first made sweet potato gnocchi which was very nice and then I experimented with potato and leek gnocchi and it is really, really nice!
Both my husband and I must have had bad gnocchi in the past and it put us off it for years. I remember ordering it at a restaurant overlooking the water at Marina Mirage on the Gold Coast at least 20 years ago. It was gluggy and tasteless but since it was a good restaurant, I thought that must just be how gnocchi tastes. In any case, my husband and I decided that gnocchi was not for us and stayed far away from it on any menu.
The gnocchi drought has broken and we are now surrounded in the deliciousness of little pillows of potato that are fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside. Welcome back gnocchi!!
- 3 large potatoes
- 3 medium leeks (or 2 large)
- 4 garlic cloves
- Vegetable stock
- ½ cup plain flour (gluten free or regular)
- Sea Salt (to taste)
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp vegan margarine
- Boil potatoes in stock and when tender, drain and place back on the stove without the lid so any left heat will dry out residual moisture in the saucepan.
- Cook leek and garlic in olive oil until soft and starting to brown.
- Mash potatoes, add leek, garlic and salt and mix well. Add flour and mix again.
- Take out about 2 tablespoons of mixture and roll into a ball. Place on a floured counter and roll with your hands to create a long snake shape.
- Cut into pieces and then roll each piece into an oval shape. Place on a large plate or tray covered with baking paper. Continue until all are cut and rolled.
- Once I have rolled all of them, I use the back of a fork to flatten slightly and create a pattern on the top of each gnocchi.
- Cove with glad wrap and place in fridge for an hour or so (only if you have time).
- Pre-heat the oven to 200°C (390°F)
- Boil salted water in a large saucepan. Cook in batches. They only take 2-3 minutes and you can tell they are ready because they rise to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon.
- Place on a large tray and put in the oven for about 20 minutes. Until the outsides feel a bit crisp. You can serve them now but I prefer one more step.
- Heat vegan margarine and olive oil in a fry pan and cook until crispy. You might need to do 2 or 3 batches depending on the size of your frying pan.
- Serve with tomato pasta sauce (recipe below) and a sprinkle of vegan Parmesan cheese.
- 1 Large Onion - chopped finely
- 3 Garlic Cloves - chopped finely
- 1 Bottle of Passata (700ml / 24oz)
- 1 tbsp Dried Basil
- 1 tbsp Dried Oregano
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 1 tbsp Stevia or Sugar
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 cup water
- Heat Olive Oil in a heavy based saucepan or pot.
- Add onion and garlic. Stir on medium heat until softened and starting to brown.
- Stir in basil and oregano.
- Add passata and stir. Add 1 cup of water to the Passata bottle and shake well before adding to the sauce.
- Add salt and Stevia/sugar.
- Taste to check if you need more salt or sugar.
- Either serve immediately or allow to simmer on low heat until required.
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