Chicche alla Crema al Parmigiano
Before Tracy learned to cook, she learned to love to eat. She is an instructor for a culinary program for children and teens.
Adapted from a recipe by Chef Marco Forneris, from Alba’s Osteria Lalibera
Chicche alla Crema al Parmigiano are a version of gnocchi that are so very good and simple to roll. They’re a bit messy to make, which is why they’re so fun! And the sauce is simple. Let your kids break up the cheese while you peel the hot potatoes. Mixing the dough and shaping is fun for everyone!
- Servings Makes enough for at least 7 people
Ingredients
For the pasta:
- 1.1 kg (2½ pounds) russet potatoes
- Salt
- 0.3 kg (¾ pound) cheese of your choice (such as pecorino or parmesan)
- 1 large egg plus 1 yolk
- 10 ml (2 teaspoons) salt
- 0.3 kg (¾ pound) all-purpose flour
For the brown butter sauce:
- 113 grams (¼ pound) butter
- 3 leaves fresh sage
- 118 ml (½ cup) cream
- 118 ml (½ cup) grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Preparation
1. For the pasta: Boil the potatoes in their skins in salted water until the skins crack and a slender knife goes in without resistance. While wearing gloves, peel while hot.
2. Cut the cheese into pieces, and pulse the potatoes and cheese in a food processor until blended.
3. Scoop onto a work surface, and make a small well in the center. Add the egg and yolk, salt, and flour. Using a bench scraper or wooden spatula, cut the flour into the potato to gently incorporate everything without making the potato gluey. Once it’s all homogeneous, test the dough as follows:
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Cut a small wedge of the dough, roll it gently into a 2 cm (¾ inch) thick rope, and cut on a slant into 2.5 cm (1 inch) pieces.
• Using floury hands, roll the pieces to look like French rolling pins, with a slightly fatter center and tapered ends, 4 to 5 cm (1½ to 2 inches) in length. Dredge in a bit more flour, and cook in the boiling water until they’ve risen to the top, plus about 15 seconds. Watch to see if they stay intact, or start fuzzing at the edges — if they’re fuzzy, they need a bit more flour worked in. The dumplings should be light and pillowy when done.
• Form the rest of your dough and place on well-floured pans, so they don’t touch. (Note: The cicche may be wrapped and frozen, but do not refrigerate.)
• Before cooking the remaining cicche, make the sauce.
4. For the brown butter sauce: Melt the butter. Add the sage and stir until the butter is well browned but not burned. Add the cream to stop the cooking and remove from heat. Add cheese to taste.
5. To finish, cook the gnocchi and toss with the sauce. Serve with additional cheese if you wish.
Tracy Cates
Tracy Cates grew up in a food-centric family where, before she learned to cook, she learned to love to eat. After leaving home, armed with a natural sense for food, a love for feeding people, and a keen wanderlust, she cooked her way from the mountains of New Mexico to the city of Kyoto, Japan, to the bluffs of the Mississippi in Wisconsin and back to her home in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is now an instructor in the Paulding Company Cook! Culinary Programs for children and teens. http://pauldingandco.com/cook
Courtesy photo
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