Gluten Free Gnocchi (Featuring Winter Squash!)

11 years ago
by Pick-a-pepper Editorial Team

If you’ve never made your own gnocchi before, you are missing out on a real treat. It’s so easy, a toddler can do it.

Once gnocchi are prepared, it takes only about 2 minutes to cook them in boiling water, even if frozen (yet another reason to love them!). Our favorite sauce also takes seconds to make: a little olive oil and a tablespoon of homemade pesto from our freezer. Mmmm!

The recipe I’m sharing today is a gluten free adaptation of Amy Goldman’s Marina di Chiogga Gnocchi recipe, found in her book, “The Complete Squash.” I’ve never grown Marina di Chiogga winter squash, but in keeping with gnocchi’s Italian origins, I use Butternut Rugosa Violina Gioia, a winter squash that produces a sweet and flaky pulp when baked.

Although we prepare this recipe with an inexpensive gnocchi board (less than $5 from King Arthur Flour’s online store), you can also use a fork to form grooves in your gnocchi. A gnocchi board is much faster, however, and you’ll also end up with more grooves for your yummy sauces.

The operative word for the main ingredients in this recipe is “dry.” Bake, rather than boil, the potatoes (it’s much easier to scoop out baked potatoes than peel, anyway). Bake whole squash (with skin): cut in half, scoop out the seeds, place in a covered baking dish with a little water, and cook for about 1 hour at 400 degrees, or until tender. Scoop the baked squash into a colander lined with a tea towel and press to remove excess water.
Ingredients:
  • 1½ cups gluten free multipurpose flour with xanthan gum (King Arthur Flour preferred; see note), plus additional for rolling dough
  • 1 cup baked and well-drained winter squash (butternut gioia violina rugosa or hubbard, preferred)
  • 2 cups baked and skinned potatoes
  • 1 tsp salt
Instructions:
  1. In a food processor, puree the squash, potato and salt.
  2. Remove puree to a large bowl. Add flour, ¼ cup at a time, mixing well with a spoon after each addition. Upon the last flour addition, mix dough with your hands.
  3. Lightly flour your hands and work surface. Pinch off a softball-sized piece of dough, dust with flour, and form into a ball. Roll the ball of dough into a 1-inch diameter rope (or “snake” as my daughters call them).
  4. Cut each rope into ¾ inch pieces. Press each piece of dough with your thumb onto a gnocchi board (or fork tines). Roll the gnocchi up and off the board (or tines) and place on a lightly floured surface (or on a baking tray lined with wax paper if you plan to freeze gnocchi).
  5. To cook gnocchi, add water to a large pot to a depth of about 4 inches. Boil water and, working in small batches, add gnocchi. After about 2 minutes, gnocchi will float to the top of the water. Allow to cook about 30 seconds longer, and remove with a slotted utensil. Toss with desired sauce.
Notes:
I prefer King Arthur Flour’s (KAF) gluten free multipurpose flour for this recipe, but it does not contain xanthan gum. To make a stock flour, mix 4 cups KAF gluten free flour with 3 teaspoons xanthan gum. Mix well. Store unused flour in the freezer for best quality.
This article was supplied by Cathy R.  She is the author of Mother of A Hubbard, a medical professor, mother of two, and a gluten free cook.
To find local ingredients from local farmers and food artisans, or to sell your farm fresh goods to those in your community, please visit Pick-A-Pepper.com!

To see more photos of the gnocchi making process, click here!

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