Gnocchi alla bava
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This Piedmontese gnocchi alla bava recipe is Italian comfort food at its best; pillowy potato and buckwheat gnocchi coated in a creamy and rich cheese sauce. If you can't find Toma or Fontina, other alpine cheeses such as Emmental or Gruyère are good substitutions. This dish is also popular in Valle d'Aosta to the north of Piedmont.
Ingredients
Buckwheat gnocchi
- 600g of floury potatoes , preferably Désirée
- 150g of 00 flour, plus extra for dusting
- 150g of buckwheat flour
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 pinch of salt
Sauce
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 400ml of double cream
- 100g of Toma cheese, grated
- 100g of fontina cheese, grated
- freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
- olive oil
- salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper
Equipment
- Potato ricer
- Garganelli board
Method
1
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Prick the potatoes with a fork and bake in the oven for 1 hour or until soft
- 600g of floury potatoes , preferably Désirée
2
When the potatoes are cooked, halve them and scoop out the flesh into a bowl. You need to work whilst the potatoes are still hot, so you may want to use a cloth or rubber gloves
3
Pass the potato flesh through a potato ricer. Stir in the flours, egg yolks and salt, mix thoroughly but taking care not to overwork the gluten so you get soft pillowy gnocchi
- 150g of 00 flour, plus extra for dusting
- 150g of buckwheat flour
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 pinch of salt
4
Divide the dough into 4 and roll each piece out on a floured surface into sausages about 2cm thick. Slice into pieces roughly 2.5cm long
5
Delicately roll the pillows over a gnocchi board to create ridges. This creates a surface the sauce can adhere to
6
To make the sauce, heat a pan over a medium heat and fry the shallot in a splash of olive oil until soft but not coloured. Add the cream and reduce by one third
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 400ml of double cream
- olive oil
7
Add the grated cheeses and stir until melted. Taste and season with nutmeg, salt and pepper
- 100g of Toma cheese, grated
- 100g of fontina cheese, grated
- freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
- salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper
8
To cook the gnocchi, bring a pot of salted water to the boil and add the dumplings. Cook until they float to the top, which should take 3–4 minutes
9
Drain the gnocchi and stir into the sauce. Serve immediately
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Gnocchi alla bava
