Medium
4 people
60 min
Danilo Cortellini
I love this recipe, delicious, easy and a great way to make use of a few days old stale bread. When you think of Italian gnocchi, perhaps your mind pictured straight away the silky potato version which truth to be told is the most popular and loved version, but not the only one as the word “gnocchi” could also be used to described a wider variety of preparations.
From Gnocchetti Sardi (with flour in Sardinia) to Gnocchi alla Romana (with semolina in Rome) the word “gnocchi” is part of our culinary slang everywhere in Italy, including in the most northern regions of the country where “gnocchi” are usually made with bread and they are locally called Canederli. That is where this recipe takes inspiration from.
Chef tip: Make sure the gnocchi mix is not to firm before preparing the gnocchi. If it is, add a touch of milk, in the opposite scenario if too watery add a touch of breadcrumbs.
Ingredients
- For the Gnocchi:
- 300 g (10.5 oz) rustic bread, chopped and crust removed
- 150 g (5.3 oz) Grated Grana Padano Riserva over 20 months
- 4 eggs
- 100 ml (3.5 oz) milk
- 200 g (7.5 oz) cooked spinach
- For the Grana Padano béchamel:
- 500 ml (17.6 oz) milk
- 40 g (1.4 oz) butter
- 40 g (1.4 oz) plain flour
- 100 g (3.5 oz) Grated Grana Padano Riserva over 20 months
- Salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste
Preparation
Layer the cling film on the table and place in the middle 1 quarter of the mixture. Wrap the mixture into the cling film so as to create a long-shaped tube of around 2 cm (1 inch) in diameter. Apply a bit of pressure while rolling the gnocchi on the table and make sure that the gnocchi mixture is well wrapped inside the film. To try and make more sense of this step think of it as if you ever have made maki sushi.
Now repeat the procedure for all of the Grana Padano gnocchi mixture and cook the film wrapped gnocchi in simmering water for about 12 minutes and when ready let them cool down (in iced water if you want to speed up) before unwrapping. The gnocchi should be firm by now.
To prepare the béchamel, melt the butter in a casserole and add the sieved flour to it. Cook for a couple of minutes on medium heat until the roux (mix of butter and flour) is well golden. Now pour in the milk, stirring vigorously with a whisk, and bring to boiling point while continuing to mix. Season with salt and pepper and a touch of nutmeg. The béchamel should be now ready, creamy and with no lumps. Remove from the heat and stir in the grated Grana Padano cheese until it melts. If there are lumps, pass the sauce through a fine sieve.
