Author Notes: Soft, puffy, and luscious gnocchi with kohlrabi and kale for a green, healthier twist on this Italian classic. —Vicky | Things I Made Today
Food52 Review: Everyone loved them; me included. They were tender, fresh, green, and light—a vegetable ricotta pillow fried in butter and dusted in parmesan cheese. I like that, unlike typical gnocchi, they are almost refreshing; they seem semi-healthy. However, they were extremely difficult to shape and boil—I think if we can find a way to make the dumpling-forming process a bit easier these guys would be killer. —Catherine Lamb
Serves: 4
Ingredients
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1
pound Small kohlrabi, about 2 to 3, stems trimmed
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1/2
cup plus 1 tablespoon butter, divided
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1/4
pound kale, or about 4 large leaves, stems removed and chopped
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2/3
cup ricotta
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1/4
cup parsley, plus more to serve
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1 1/2
teaspoons salt, divided
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Freshly ground black pepper
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2/3
cup water
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1/2
cup all-purpose flour
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2
large eggs
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1
cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Directions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add kohlrabi (with the peel still on) and boil for about 30 minutes, until tender (a fork should easily be able to puncture through to the center). Drain water and let kohlrabi cool slightly. Then, using a knife, peel off hard skin. Coarsely chop kohlrabi and set aside.
- In a small saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium high heat. Add kale and cook until wilted.
- Combine chopped kohlrabi, kale, ricotta, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a food processor and puree, scraping down the sides as needed. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter over low heat. Add water and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Remove pan from heat and gradually add in flour, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon, until mixture is thick and flour is evenly integrated. Return to heat and continue stirring for 2 to 3 minutes, until mixture no longer sticks to the sides of the pan.
- Transfer flour mixture to a large bowl and mix in eggs, one at a time, until they are fully absorbed.
- Add in warm kohlrabi mixture and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and mix well.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to gentle boil.
- Flour your hands and form kohlrabi mixture into 1 1/2-inch wide dumplings, dropping them into the water as you go. [Editor’s note: Depending on the moisture in your kohlrabi or your kale, your batter might seem a bit thin. If it’s too thin to be able to form the dumplings with your hands, slowly add flour a half-cupful at a time until it’s thick enough to do so (should take no more than a scant two cups); taste your dough for salt after adding extra flour and adjust accordingly. If you prefer not to shape the gnocchi with your hands, you can also spoon the batter into a gallon zip-top bag, snip off the bag’s corner, and pipe batter directly into the water, using a sharp knife to slice off bite-sized pieces of dough as it comes out of the bag.] Be careful not to overcrowd the dumplings – only do 6-8 at a time to make sure they have space. Dumplings will sink to the bottom and then float to the top. Cook each batch for about 5 minutes, then use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate in a single layer (don’t stack them).
- Let dumplings cool and dry out slightly, about 15 minutes.
- Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add dumplings and cook until browned on both sides. Again, you may need to do this part in batches.
- To serve, top with remaining Parmesan cheese and additional parsley.
Photo by Vicky | Things I Made Today