By: The Food Hunter
It had never occurred to me before now to make gnocchi from pureed carrot; but once I saw this recipe in Domenica Marchetti's book,
The Glorious Pasta of Italy I realized that it actually makes sense. The sweet flavor and creamy texture of the carrots is similar to those of sweet potatoes and pumpkin; both of which make excellent gnocchi.
In this dish the carrots are roasted to enhance their sweetness and then pureed until fairly smooth. Next the carrots are mixed with ricotta and just enough flour to bring it all together. What makes this dish even more unique is the cooking method. The gnocchi are first boiled in water, then tossed with a browned butter herb sauce and topped with Parmesan cheese before they are put in the oven for a quick bake. The results are phenomenal, when the gnocchi hit your mouth you instantly taste the sweetness of the carrots immediately followed by the bold nuttiness of the melted Parmesan and browned butter mix.
Don't let the lengthiness of the recipe fool you; it may be time consuming but it's very easy to make and it's so worth it! Oh and don't forget to scroll down and enter the Whole Foods gift card giveaway below the recipe!
Roasted Carrot & Ricotta Gnocchi
(pintable recipe)
For the Gnocchi
1-1/2 lb/680 g carrots, peeled (1 lb/455 g after trimming),
cut into chunks
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher or fine sea salt
2 tsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp minced shallots
1 cup/225 g whole cow's milk ricotta cheese
2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
3/4 cup/85 g freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup/30 g unbleached all-purpose/ plain flour,
plus more for rolling the gnocchi
For the Herbed Butter
6 tbsp/85 g unsalted butter
1 heaping tbsp mixed minced fresh herbs
(I used parsley and oregano)
1/4 cup/55 g freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese,
plus more for serving
To
Make the Gnocchi: Heat the oven to 400 degrees F/200 degrees C/gas 6.
Place the carrots in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet/tray or
shallow roasting pan/tray, and drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil over them.
Sprinkle with a little salt and toss with a spatula. Roast the carrots
for 30 to 40 minutes, or until they are completely tender and browned in
spots. Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 375
degrees F/190 degrees C/gas 6.
Heat the butter in a frying pan
placed over medium heat. When the butter is melted and begins to sizzle,
stir in the shallots and sauté, stirring frequently, 4 to 5 minutes, or
until they begin to soften. Add the roasted carrots and toss to combine
them with the shallots. Remove from the heat and let cool to room
temperature.
Transfer the carrots to a food processor and
process until fairly smooth (a few little bits are good for texture).
Scoop out the carrot puree into a bowl. Add the ricotta, egg yolks,
Parmigiano, 1/2 tsp salt, the nutmeg, and a few grinds of pepper. Gently
stir in the 1/4 cup/30 g flour, taking care to combine everything
thoroughly.
Place a scoop of flour in a shallow bowl. Have two
standard tablespoons at hand. With one spoon, scoop up about 1 tbsp of
the carrot mixture and then transfer it to the other spoon. Transfer the
mixture back and forth a few times to help shape the mixture into a
ball (it does not have to be perfectly round). Gently drop the ball into
the bowl of flour and coat it lightly. Then roll the ball between your
palms to produce a chestnut-size nugget. Transfer to a lightly floured
rimmed baking sheet/tray. Repeat until you have used up all the mixture.
You should end up with 32 to 36 gnocchi.
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt generously.
To
Make the Herbed Butter: Melt the butter in a small frying pan placed
over medium-low heat. When the butter is melted and begins to sizzle,
stir in the herbs and cook, stirring occasionally, for just a couple of
minutes, or until the butter has taken on the flavor of the herbs.
Remove from the heat. Spoon some of the herbed butter into a baking dish
large enough to hold all the gnocchi in one snug layer. Set the dish
near the stove.
When the water is boiling, carefully drop half
the gnocchi into the pot. Cover the pot until the water returns to a
boil, then uncover and cook the gnocchi for about 5 minutes. They will
float to the top when they are nearly done. Using a skimmer or a large
slotted spoon, remove the gnocchi to the prepared baking dish. Cook the
remaining gnocchi in the same way and add them to the baking dish.
Drizzle the remaining herbed butter over the gnocchi.
Sprinkle
the 1/4 cup/55 g Parmigiano over the gnocchi and place in the oven. Bake
the gnocchi for about 15 minutes, or until they are hot throughout and
the cheese is melted. Serve immediately. Pass additional cheese at the
table.
Simplify: The gnocchi may be boiled, placed in the baking
dish, and drizzled with the herbed butter up to 1 day in advance. Cover
the dish tightly with aluminum foil and refrigerate. Remove the dish
from the refrigerator about 1 hour before baking. Sprinkle with the
cheese and bake as directed.
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