Parmesan and Parsley Gnocchi with Italian Sausage
Gnocchi are soft, fluffy, potato-based dumplings. They pair well with savory sauces and spicy sausages.
Parmesan Parsley Gnocchi with Italian Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 link Spicy Italian Sausage
- 1 serving garlic olive oil bread dip (See recipe or notes below)
- 1 yellow onion (diced)
- 2 tsp Parmesan (plus more to garnish)
- 1 tsp powdered broth base (chicken, vegetable, beef, or salt to taste)
Gnocchi
- 2 large russet potatoes
- 1 egg
- 1 cup flour
- .25 cups Parmesan (shredded)
- 2 tbsp Parsley
- 1 tsp salt (to taste)
Instructions
Gnocchi dough
- *As written, this dough recipe is enough for 4 servings. You are welcome to half the recipe, or, reserve half of the prepared dough for a future recipe, as noted below.
- Cook potatoes until the insides are soft and the potato can be easily stabbed with a fork
- Allow potatoes to cool
- Remove skin if necessary and mash the potatoes in a large bowl
- Add remaining gnocchi ingredients and combine thoroughly, adding water or olive oil as needed to form a dough ball
- Dough may be slightly tacky but should not be sticky
- Allow to rest in bowl for 30 minutes to one hour
While the dough rests
- Sauté onions in a sauce pan with a splash of olive oil until cooked through and translucent
- Prepare olive oil-based sauce, such as this olive oil dip (I used about half for the pasta and half with a side of bread) and any side dishes desired
- Prepare sausage to your preference (we grilled ours)
- Prepare a large pan or dutch oven for gnocchi by filling it halfway with water and your broth base or some salt and bring to a boil
Preparing the gnocchi
- Place dough on a floured surface
- Split the dough ball in half*If you are prepping for 2 servings, place half in a locking bag and freeze for future use
- Split the dough in half again and roll each piece into a long cylinder
- With a sharp knife, slice the cylinders to form little pillow shapes
- Carefully transfer the pillows to the boiling water and stir to make sure they separate
- Let the gnocchi cook until they start to float, then drain water, keeping or returning the gnocchi to the warm pan when done
- Add onion, desired amount of garlic oil, and Parmesan to pan and stir to melt the cheese into the sauce
- Place on a plate
- Slice sausage into thin medallions and arrange atop the gnocchi
- Garnish with Parmesan
Make a homemade bread to soak up the rest of the garlic-infused oil to make this a meal. Salads would also work as a side and would add far fewer carbs than the bread. Alternatively, gnocchi are lovely additions to a hearty soup or stew.
Gnocchi are small dumplings that function as pasta; they are small, boiled pillows of dough, served with some form of sauce. In Italy, they are often utilized as a dish early within the meal, or as an accompaniment to the main dish. They can stand on their own for a weeknight dinner with the right sauce and side dish. These dumplings typically contain a mix of flour (semolina or white are popular), egg, and potato.
The pasta has a cloud-like texture as a result of the incorporation of potato. Traditional gnocchi recipes vary, and the tiny dumplings can be made plain or with other spices and cheeses integrated into the dough. It is not uncommon for gnocchi to be scored with forks or a preparation tool; decorative markings on the dumplings hold through the boiling process.
Gnocchi have a rich and regional history that cannot be done justice here. If interested, visit Wikipedia; it has some great insight into local interpretations of the dish, as well as links to books that discuss pasta more broadly.