Finding rich, healthy and local ingredients have been my main focus as well as finding ways to replace wheat flour with other flours like almond or coconut.
Fortunately, my boyfriend loves to cook as much as I do... Together with some wonderful experiments, we made a truly fantastic classic gluten free dish of gnocchi with a classic Bolognese.
I really like this better than most regular gnocchi. It's light, fluffy, full of flavor and absorbs the sauce really well.
Below is Marc's Gnocchi recipe he made by taking my suggestion of using almond flour instead of regular flour.
We tried a typical gluten free flour but the almond flour turned out to be the winning combination.
Gluten-free Gnocchi Marc Stylee:
- About 2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
- About 1 cup almond flour
- Cream
- Salt
Peel and cube up some sweet potatoes and boil them until soft. Drain and mash with a fork until smooth, adding salt and a dash of cream to taste.
Begin adding flour to the mixture and combine to form a mass of dough. When in doubt, err on the side of less flour first -- it's easier to correct with extra flour than the other way around. Knead for a minute or so to bring the dough to a pliable consistency.
A note on almond flour: because there is no gluten, kneading won't make it more elastic, so don't expect a stretchy substance. The goal is a dough that's firm enough to be handleable without coming apart, but not so firm that it has trouble sticking to itself or becomes dense.
Bring a large pot of water to boil. In the meanwhile, pull off a chunk of the dough and on a floured surface, roll a "play-doh snake". Cut off little nubs, about an inch deep, and place on a floured surface or wax paper. Repeat until all the gnocchi have been formed.
When the water is ready, begin boiling the gnocchi in batches, to avoid overcrowding. When they've finished cooking, they'll naturally float to the top.
(Developing a feel for the dough can take some experimentation. You'll know how far off you are if the gnocchi come apart in the water, or stay sunk on the bottom like rocks.)
Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a warm serving dish greased with some butter or olive oil to keep them from sticking.
Once the gnocchi are all cooked, serve immediately with a tasty sauce, or however your beautiful heart desires. I like a good Gorgonzola sauce, or a hearty ragù, but it's your call
Rena's Spaghetti Bolognese:
- About 2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
- About 1 cup almond flour
- Cream
- Salt
Peel and cube up some sweet potatoes and boil them until soft. Drain and mash with a fork until smooth, adding salt and a dash of cream to taste.
Begin adding flour to the mixture and combine to form a mass of dough. When in doubt, err on the side of less flour first -- it's easier to correct with extra flour than the other way around. Knead for a minute or so to bring the dough to a pliable consistency.
A note on almond flour: because there is no gluten, kneading won't make it more elastic, so don't expect a stretchy substance. The goal is a dough that's firm enough to be handleable without coming apart, but not so firm that it has trouble sticking to itself or becomes dense.
Bring a large pot of water to boil. In the meanwhile, pull off a chunk of the dough and on a floured surface, roll a "play-doh snake". Cut off little nubs, about an inch deep, and place on a floured surface or wax paper. Repeat until all the gnocchi have been formed.
When the water is ready, begin boiling the gnocchi in batches, to avoid overcrowding. When they've finished cooking, they'll naturally float to the top.
(Developing a feel for the dough can take some experimentation. You'll know how far off you are if the gnocchi come apart in the water, or stay sunk on the bottom like rocks.)
Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a warm serving dish greased with some butter or olive oil to keep them from sticking.
Once the gnocchi are all cooked, serve immediately with a tasty sauce, or however your beautiful heart desires. I like a good Gorgonzola sauce, or a hearty ragù, but it's your call
Rena's Spaghetti Bolognese:
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 ounces pancetta, diced
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 -2 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (ceylon)
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon fresh chili flakes
1 pound ground beef or buffalo
1/2 pound hot chicken Italian sausage, removed from the casings
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cup red wine
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes and their juice
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 - 2 cups home made bone broth
2 teaspoons brown sugar (if needed)
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 Tbs Crème fraîche
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 pound gluten free gnocchi
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Directions:
In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring, until browned and the fat is rendered, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onions, carrots and celery and cook, stirring, until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, cinnamon, nutmeg and chili flakes and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the beef and sausage. Cook, stirring, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook until the meat and vegetable mixture almost seemed glazed or caramelized. Add the wine and cook, stirring, to deglaze the pan and remove any browned bits sticking to the bottom of the pan. Cook an additional 2-5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and their juices, the tomato sauce, bone broth, and sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, to keep the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan, until the sauce is thickened and flavorful, about 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Add the cream, butter, crème fraîche and half of the parsely, stir well, and simmer for 2 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and adjust the seasoning, to taste. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm until ready to serve.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When the water is ready, begin boiling the gnocchi in batches, to avoid overcrowding. When they've finished cooking, they'll naturally float to the top. (Developing a feel for the dough can take some experimentation. You'll know how far off you are if the gnocchi come apart in the water, or stay sunk on the bottom like rocks.) Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a warm serving dish greased with some butter or olive oil to keep them from sticking.
Add the pasta to the sauce, tossing to coat. Add 1/2 cup of the cheese and toss to blend, sprinkle with leftover parsley. Divide among pasta bowls and serve with the cheese passed tableside. (Alternatively, toss only the desired portion of pasta with a bit of the sauce at a time in a serving bowl, reserving the remainder for another meal.)
4 ounces pancetta, diced
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 -2 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (ceylon)
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon fresh chili flakes
1 pound ground beef or buffalo
1/2 pound hot chicken Italian sausage, removed from the casings
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cup red wine
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes and their juice
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 - 2 cups home made bone broth
2 teaspoons brown sugar (if needed)
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 Tbs Crème fraîche
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 pound gluten free gnocchi
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Directions:
In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring, until browned and the fat is rendered, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onions, carrots and celery and cook, stirring, until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, cinnamon, nutmeg and chili flakes and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the beef and sausage. Cook, stirring, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook until the meat and vegetable mixture almost seemed glazed or caramelized. Add the wine and cook, stirring, to deglaze the pan and remove any browned bits sticking to the bottom of the pan. Cook an additional 2-5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and their juices, the tomato sauce, bone broth, and sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, to keep the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan, until the sauce is thickened and flavorful, about 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Add the cream, butter, crème fraîche and half of the parsely, stir well, and simmer for 2 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and adjust the seasoning, to taste. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm until ready to serve.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When the water is ready, begin boiling the gnocchi in batches, to avoid overcrowding. When they've finished cooking, they'll naturally float to the top. (Developing a feel for the dough can take some experimentation. You'll know how far off you are if the gnocchi come apart in the water, or stay sunk on the bottom like rocks.) Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a warm serving dish greased with some butter or olive oil to keep them from sticking.
Add the pasta to the sauce, tossing to coat. Add 1/2 cup of the cheese and toss to blend, sprinkle with leftover parsley. Divide among pasta bowls and serve with the cheese passed tableside. (Alternatively, toss only the desired portion of pasta with a bit of the sauce at a time in a serving bowl, reserving the remainder for another meal.)
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