BEETROOT GNOCCHI (with sage, walnut & browned butter sauce)

 

GNOCCHI INGREDIENTS

  • 230 g organic beetroot (3-4 small)
  • 450 g organic potatoes (5-7 small)
  • 250 g organic flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Extra organic flour (approximately 100 ml) for dusting your work surface Organic olive oil for pan sautéing

SAUCE INGREDIENTS

  • 150 ml organic walnuts, roughly chopped and toasted
  • 125 g organic butter
  • Approximately 20 sage leaves
  • A good squeeze of fresh lemon juice (1-2 tablespoons)
  • *See below for dairy-free alternatives

FOR SERVING

  • 1 bag of organic baby spinach
  • Freshly cracked pepper and salt
  • Organic Parmigiano Reggiano or vegan parmesan (optional)

GNOCCHI DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
  2. Wash and peel beetroot. Place in a baking dish.
  3. Wash potatoes a pierce and with a fork 3 or 4 times and add them to the baking dish along with 2 tablespoons of water.
  4. Cover dish tightly with tin foil. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
  5. Press potatoes using a potato ricer into a bowl. Purée the beetroot in a small food processor. Add puréed beetroot to the potatoes and mix with a spoon.
  6. Add flour to potato and beetroot mixture along with 1/2 a teaspoon of salt. Stir with a spoon to form dough, then turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth.
  7. Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Shape each into a 40 cm-long rope, dusting with extra flour to prevent sticking. Cut each rope on a slight diagonal into 18-20 pieces.
  8. Place all the cut gnocchi pieces on a baking sheet dusted with a little flour to prevent sticking.
  9. Bring 6 litres of water to boil in a large saucepan.
  10. Add half of the gnocchi and cook for 2-21/2 minutes or until done (the pieces should float). Remove gnocchi with a slotted spoon and place in a colander to drain. Repeat with remaining gnocchi*.
  11. Place a large frying pan/skillet on the stove over medium-high heat, drizzle in enough olive oil to lightly coat the base of the pan. Pan sauté the gnocchi pieces for around 30 seconds- 1 minute on each side. Remove from heat and set gnocchi to the side.

*If not using all the gnocchi at once, drizzle the unused portion with a little olive oil and separate the pieces to prevent sticking. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge and follow the remaining preparation steps to serve (step 11, followed by sauce directions below, bearing in mind that you may want to reduce the sauce ingredients by half if serving a half portion of gnocchi).


SAUCE DIRECTIONS

  1. Add the butter to a large frying pan/skillet and allow it to cook over medium heat until golden brown (around 2 to 3 minutes).
  2. Add the sage leaves and cook for around 20 seconds, then squeeze in the lemon juice and stir.
  3. Add the gnocchi and cook for 1 minute, tossing gently through the sauce. You can choose to add a couple of generous handfuls of baby spinach at this point, allowing it to wilt down.
  4. Serve gnocchi sprinkle with the toasted walnuts, seasoned with salt and pepper, and finish with grated Parmigiano Reggiano, if you like.

*For a dairy-free option, serve the gnocchi with basil or sage pesto. Alternatively, a dressing made with fresh sage, lemon juice, olive oil and toasted walnuts is lovely. My vegan hubby will attest to the fact that this is a delicious option! I am yet to try this vegan parmesan recipe, but I have heard good things about it and it may be another option for those of you who prefer to eat entirely plant-based.

Recipe by Miss Marzipan