With one large beet in my fridge and a beet-themed dinner in the future, I decided to make a beet-asiago gnocchi for dinner. Most people roll their gnocchi dough into a thick straw and cut the gnocchi; in Italy I was taught to hand-form them, so mine look less uniform.
For this batch I used 1 large beet and about 10 small Yukon gold potatoes. Scrub the beet and potatoes then towel-dry. Roll them in olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, and roast in a 350 degree oven until they are fork-tender. Let cool slightly. Rub the skin from the beet. I leave the skin on the potatoes, but feel free to peel yours if you don’t want the texture.
Using a potato masher, begin to smash the potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Shred the beets into the potato mixture and keep mashing. Add two pats of butter, one beaten egg, and mash until smooth. Stir in 1 C of shaved asiago. Then mix in flour, slowly, until you get a medium (not stiff, but not too sticky either) dough. Usually I add about 3/4 C by the time I’m done.
Using about 1/2 teaspoon of dough, with floured hands, I form a ball and flatten it slightly with fork tines. I cook the gnocchi in chicken stock for added flavor. Once your broth – or water – has come to a boil, gently drop the gnocchi in the pot. They will float when they are cooked. Because this is a fresh pasta, it cooks very quickly, maybe a minute or two. Remove the gnocchi with a slotten spoon and place in a colander to drain a bit more.
To highlight the subtle flavor of these gnocchi, I served them simply – with a sprinkling of sea salt, drizzled with olive oil and pomegranate balsamic vinegar, and a bit of shaved asiago cheese. Buon appetito!
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