One for Senore... and one for Bellissima...

A rustic Italian classic. Gnocchi is my most favorite pasta and I always wanted to make my own from scratch so I did and followed this self-tailored recipe. I wanted to try something different besides your textbook marinara or pesto sauces so I chose a twist on a gorgonzola cream sauce. There is something magical about the pear + gorgonzola combination so hopefully y’all try it out and agree! For those calorie-counters out there (I am one of them), guilt not! I chose low-fat/ fat-free ingredients where I could :-) My plan is to eventually link a few more sauces to this gnocchi recipe so you can mix and match according to what you're in the mood for that day. Anyways enjoy! Bellissima!

Gnocchi with Bosc Pears and Gorgonzola

Ingredients

Gnocchi:

2lb Yukon gold potatoes (finer consistency than Russet)

2 ½ cups flour (keep more on hand)

1 tablespoon sea salt

2 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Sauce:

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) light butter
2 Bosc pears, cored & sliced into 1/3-inch-thick strips
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
4 ounces light Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
3/4 cup grated light Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fat free half & half cream
1/3 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Gnocchi (can make ahead of time and store in fridge for up to 12 hours)

1.            Lightly flour a baking sheet. Put potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with cold water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cook until potatoes are very tender when pierced with a sharp knife, about 25 minutes.

2.            Drain potatoes. When they are just cool enough to handle, peel, and then pass through a potato ricer into a medium bowl (if you don’t have a ricer, just mash with a fork until there are minimal lumps). Sprinkle with flour, and add eggs. Season with black pepper and 1 tablespoon salt. Stir mixture with a fork to combine.

3.            Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface; gently knead until it is soft and smooth, about 3 minutes. If dough is too sticky, keep adding flour until it is more manageable. Divide dough into handfuls. Roll each piece into a long rope about 3/4 inch thick. Cut ropes crosswise into 1-inch gnocchi.

4.            Roll a cut side of each dumpling against the tines of a fork with your thumb so each piece has ridges on one side and an indentation on the other. Place on the floured baking sheet until ready to cook.

Sauce

5.            Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pears and sauté until tender and beginning to brown but not soft, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, carefully transfer pears to bowl.

6.            Reduce heat to medium-low and allow pan to cool slightly. Add rosemary to same skillet and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add broth, Gorgonzola cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and half & half. Simmer until sauce thickens enough to coat spoon, whisking occasionally, about 10 minutes. Return pears and any accumulated juices to sauce.

When ready to cook pasta….

7.            Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add half the gnocchi; when they rise to the top (after about 2 minutes), continue to cook until tender, about 15 seconds more. Transfer gnocchi with a slotted spoon to the sauce. Repeat process with remaining gnocchi.

8.            Add pecans to sauce. Toss mixture over medium-low heat until sauce coats pasta, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in shallow bowls and sprinkle servings with remaining ¼ cup Parmesan cheese.

Just for kicks I attached a video of one of my fav SNL sketches to get you inspired for some good Italian cooking….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeDHFxT-qnY