09/26/2024
Another local foods meal courtesy of many of
our vendors at the Fergus Falls Farmers Market.
Gnocchi with Creamy Tomato Sauce
3 tablespoons good Olive oil
1/2 large yellow onion (Loads of Crop)
6 cloves of Garlic, Minced
1/2 to 1 tsp Red pepper flakes (depending on your preferred heat level)
1/2 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Basil
6-8 Paste Tomatoes - cut in chunks, peeled if desired (Loads of Crop)
A tablespoon or 2 of tomato paste
1 lb Italian Sausage (Pure Joy Farms)
1/2 cup heavy cream
Splash of vodka, if desired
Freshly grated parm, divided
Heat a skillet and add olive oil when ready. Add onions, spices and cut tomatoes and tomato paste, cook until tomatoes and onions are soft. Smash tomatoes as they cool to break them down further. Add sausage in little clumps and cook in the sauce. Add cream and vodka, if using. Cook until slightly reduced. Add parm just before gnocchi are ready. Adjust for seasoning.
2 large Yukon or russet potatoes, baked, cooled, peeled and mashed (Red River Garlic and Produce)
2 eggs (1 whole egg, plus 1 yolk)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
2 cups AP flour, plus more for rolling
Add egg and remaining ingredients except for flour to the cooled mashed potatoes, stir well to combine. Scoop flour onto surface and make a well. Transfer potatoes to well, working flour in until it becomes a dough. Don’t overwork or your gnocchi will be tough. Set aside to rest for 30 mins. Divide dough into smaller portions and roll into log shapes. Cut logs with a bench scraper into “pillows”.
Cook gnocchi* in boiling salted water until they float. Remove gnocchi from water and add to sauce as they are ready. Allow gnocchi to soak up the flavor of the sauce for a few minutes.
*Only cook as many gnocchi as you will eat for this meal. You can easily freeze uncooked gnocchi by laying it out on a sheet pan (with parchment) and freezing it. Once frozen, you can bag it up in a zip top bag and have it ready to cook for your next meal.
Serve gnocchi with sauce and a little dollop of pesto and additional Parmesan.
If you’ve got leftover uncooked gnocchi that you’re going to freeze, they can be cooked from frozen with little effort. Consider cooking them up and then tossing in a pan to toast up with some browned butter and fresh sage tossed with some diced roasted butternut squash.
