Gnocchi are easily made deliciously chewy dumplings that are part mashed potato, part pasta. They’re particularly tasty simply browned and crisped in butter. Tender spinach is puréed into a bright green sauce scented with fragrant nutmeg. Orach is an ancient vegetable with a savory mineral flavor like spinach and chard. Its microgreens and tender leaves pair beautifully with earthy potatoes.
Potato Gnocchi, Nutmeg Spinach Sauce, and Orach Salad
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, finely grated with a microplane or finely minced
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup water
- 10 oz baby spinach
- 4 large russet or Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2 lbs), peeled and quartered
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 1 tsp sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 4 Tbsp butter
- A handful of fresh orach leaves or baby spinach (2 oz or so)
- A handful of orach sprouts or other savoury, snappy fresh microgreens (broccoli, kale, radish, turnip, or cress)
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories385
- protein13 g
- fat16 g
- carbs52 g
- sugar2 g
- fiber9 g
- sodium308 mg
Directions
01
Make the Nutmeg Spinach Sauce.
Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion, cover, and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and fragrant but not browning, 10 minutes or so. Stir in garlic, nutmeg, salt, and pepper and continue cooking for a minute. Add water and spinach and cook, stirring constantly, just until bright green and wilted, only a minute or two. Transfer to high-speed blender and carefully purée until smooth. (Hot liquids are dangerous—they can violently erupt. For safety, drape kitchen towel over blender, start slowly, then gradually increase speed.) Return sauce to pot and reserve at room temperature. Bring to simmer just before serving.
02
Make the Potato Gnocchi.
Place potatoes in large pot and cover with salted water. Bring to boil over medium-high heat and cook until tender, 15 minutes or so. Drain potatoes, rinse pot, fill with hot water, and return to simmer. Pass potatoes through a ricer or food mill fitted with its finest disc into large bowl and let cool until no longer steaming, 15 minutes or so. Sprinkle in 1 1/2 cups of flour. Add eggs, salt, and pepper. With a sturdy wooden spoon, vigorously stir mixture into rough dough.
03
Measure the remaining 1/2 cup flour onto work surface. Lightly flour your hands, reserving some flour to side. Turn out dough and lightly sprinkle with some of the reserved flour. Knead for a minute until a smooth dough emerges. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Dust 1 piece of dough with flour and roll into a long, even rope about 1 in thick. Repeat with remaining 3 pieces. Cut each rope into 1 in pieces. You should have 32 or so gnocchi.
04
Bring simmering water to boil over medium-high heat. Working quickly, immediately transfer gnocchi to boiling water. Cook, stirring gently, until all the gnocchi are floating and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
05
Melt butter in large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. With skimmer or slotted spoon, lift cooked gnocchi from water, draining thoroughly, and transfer to melted butter. Without stirring, patiently cook gnocchi until just one side is thoroughly browned and crispy. Serve on a pool of warm spinach sauce with a tangle of fresh orach leaves and orach sprouts.
Chef Michael Smith is a best-selling cookbook author, innkeeper, educator, professional chef, and home cook. He and his wife are the proprietors of the Inn at Bay Fortune and its award-winning restaurant, FireWorks.
