GATHER JOURNAL

Photograph by Will Anderson Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero Prop Styling by Theo Vamvounakis
    

Gnocchi with Spicy Greens

Starters from Issue 4 – Fall / Winter 2014 – Cocoon

That gnocchi comes from the Italian word for knuckle (nocca) is fitting, since crafting them is a real show of hands. One where everyone has personal flourishes—when my nonna Filomena Giampa made them, she sometimes used a wicker basket to imprint their subtle ridges.

serves 6 as a starter or 4 as a main



  • 1 ¼ medium Yukon Gold potatoes
  • ¾ cup to 1 cup all-purpose flour plus more for forming
  • 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 anchovy fillets
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • ¼ tsp hot red pepper flakes
  • 5 cups chopped kale or mustard greens
  • ¼ cup toasted bread crumbs

  • 1

    Put potatoes in a saucepan covered with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and briefly cool. While still hot, peel and force through a ricer onto a lightly floured surface.
  • 2

    Add ¾ cup flour and gently fluff into potatoes then knead with your hands briefly to form a soft dough. Cover with a kitchen towel to keep warm.
  • 3

    Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Form a few ¾-inch long ovals as guinea pigs and roll along fork tines or a gnocchi board to imprint grooves. Boil until they bob up to the surface, then 15 seconds more. Fish out. If they hold their shape, continue to form the rest the same way: if not, knead in a little more flour without over handling.
  • 4

    Divide dough into 4 pieces and form into ¾-inch thick logs. Cut each log into 1-inch pieces and roll along the grooves. Keep gnocchi on a floured sheet pan dusted with more flour until ready to cook.
  • 5

    Heat butter, oil, anchovies, garlic, and pepper flakes in a large skillet stirring to dissolve anchovies. Add greens and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Boil gnocchi as above and stir into skillet. Serve topped with bread crumbs.