Hi,
last year for our anniversary I made beet gnocchi. Apparently, hubby loved them so much that they will now be on our menu more often. They are best accompanied by simple butter sauce. Be it browned butter and sage sauce, or a white butter sauce, similar to Alfredo. Since they are delicate and sweeter tasting than normal potato gnocchi, you shouldn’t serve them in thick or tomato sauces. But you can serve them as a side to a stake. Mmmmm :P. The good thing about gnocchi is that they are so easy to make gluten-free, I don’t understand why there aren’t more gluten-free versions in stores.
The ingredients for beet gnocchi
1-2 beets, depending on size (it should be the same amount as potatoes)
1-2 potatoes
egg
potato flour, or any other gluten-free flour ( rice, starch, etc.)
First thing – roast your beets and potatoes in the foil. The beets will take a while. You can also use microwave to make it faster, but it will still take around 20 min. Make sure to take out potatoes when they are finished, since beets will take longer time.
When the beets are potatoes are finished, leave them to cool a bit, then peel them. You can blend the beets in a blender to a puree and use a ricer to press the potatoes. Alternatively, you can mash potatoes with a fork and press them through the sieve. Make sure there are no lumps of potatoes.
Mix it all up!
Mix in the potatoes and beets until they form a uniform paste. DO NOT USER A MIXER. You just want to use a fork or a spoon to mix the beets and potatoes. If you overmix potatoes, they don’t have a good texture. Add the egg to the mixture and mix it in. Then add the flour until the consistency is right. This will depend on how much water there is in the beets. You should only mix enough flour to be able to form a stable ball. The ball of dough should not run if you leave it. It may flatten a bit, but not much. The dough should still feel fluffy and light. I used 4 tablespoons in my dough this time around. I then wrap up the dough or put it in a closed container and leave it in the fridge to cool completely.
Making the gnocchi
When the dough has rested, take it out of the fridge and test to see if you need to add another spoon of flour. Sometimes after resting the beets will release more moisture and you will need to adjust the dough. When you are happy with the dough, half it and roll one half into a thin long roll on a floured surface. I don’t have enough space on my counters so I had to quarter it and then roll it up. When you are happy with how thick or thin your roll is, then cut the gnocchi in the desired size. Make sure you have enough flour on your knife or bench scraper, so gnocchi doesn’t stick. I then transfer the gnocchi to a parchment-lined sheet pan, making sure they don’t touch. And put them again in the fridge to harden a bit until the water boils.
Cooking the beet gnocchi
These gnocchi are cooked in the same manner as usual potato gnocchi. Boil the water and add enough salt so it is sea salty. While your water is boiling, make a simple butter sauce by browning the butter in a pan, then add a couple of sage leaves and a garlic clove. Leave it of the heat until the gnocchi are done.
Then the water is boiling add your cold gnocchi. Lift the gnocchi out of the water when they swim to the surface, and put them into the butter sauce. Swirl them around the pan, so that butter covers them. Don’t strain them, the starchy gnocchi water is something you will need to finish the sauce.
When all of the gnocchi is out of the water ad in the pan, put the pan back on the heat. And grate parmesan in. If it looks a bit dry, add more gnocchi water. Since the gnocchi is beet gnocchi, their water will be a pink color. and thus the sauce will get a pink hue. Stir the gnocchi in the pan until parmesan is melted, and they are completely covered in the sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, and parmesan to your taste. Serve warm with a salad. And grate a bit of parmesan on top before serving. Enjoy! 🙂
