VegetarianPiemontese cuisine Main Course

Gnocchi al Castelmagno

Name: Gnocchi al Castelmagno
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Piemontese
Ingredients: 1000 g floury potatoes; 250 g Plain flour; 1 small Egg; 5 g Fine sea salt; 200 g castelmagno dop; 120 ml Whole milk; 40 g Unsalted butter; 1 pinch Ground nutmeg; 1 pinch Black pepper

Tender handmade potato gnocchi coated in a rich, velvety sauce made from melted Castelmagno mountain cheese and butter.

🇮🇹Italy· Piedmont

Prep: 35 min
Cook: 30 min
Total: 65 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 540 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

1000 g floury potatoes — unpeeled, scrubbed
250 g Plain flour — type 00 or plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 small Egg — lightly beaten
5 g Fine sea salt — plus extra for boiling water
200 g castelmagno dop — rind trimmed, crumbled into small pieces
120 ml Whole milk — lukewarm
40 g Unsalted butter — diced
1 pinch Ground nutmeg — freshly grated
1 pinch Black pepper — freshly ground

Equipment

•Large saucepan
•Potato ricer
•Wooden board
•Wide frying pan
•Slotted spoon

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 540 kcal
fat: 22 g
carbs: 68 g
fibre: 4 g
protein: 18 g
calories: 540 kcal

Instructions

1
Boil unpeeled whole potatoes in salted water for 25 to 30 minutes until tender throughout.
2
Drain the potatoes thoroughly and peel them quickly while still hot.
3
Pass the warm potatoes through a potato ricer directly onto a wooden work surface.
4
Spread the riced potatoes out to allow excess steam and moisture to evaporate for five minutes.
5
Scatter over the flour, salt, nutmeg, and the beaten egg.
6
Gently work the ingredients together until a soft, uniform dough just forms.
7
Cut the dough into pieces and roll them into long, finger-thick ropes.
8
Cut each rope into two-centimetre pillows and gently roll them over a ridged board or fork.
9
Melt the butter and milk together in a wide pan over gentle low heat.
10
Add the crumbled Castelmagno and stir continuously on low heat until smooth and creamy.
11
Cook the gnocchi in boiling salted water until they rise to the surface.
12
Transfer the gnocchi with a slotted spoon into the cheese sauce, toss gently, and serve immediately.

Chef's tips

Do not overwork the potato dough once flour is added, or the gnocchi will become dense and heavy. Keep the cheese sauce over very low heat to prevent the Castelmagno from separating and becoming grainy.

Ingredient substitutions

Castelmagno DOP → a mix of mature Raschera DOP and sharp aged pecorino
whole milk → single cream for a richer, heavier sauce

Storage

Cooked gnocchi should be eaten straight away, but uncooked shaped gnocchi can be frozen in a single layer on a tray.

Reheating

Reheat any leftover cooked gnocchi gently in a frying pan over low heat with a splash of milk to loosen the sauce.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Boiling peeled or cut potatoes, which makes them absorb excess water and turn the dough sticky.
•Allowing the cheese sauce to boil, which splits the milk fats and ruins the silky texture.
•Over-kneading the dough, leading to tough and rubbery gnocchi instead of light, pillowy ones.

Serving suggestions

Serve immediately in warm shallow pasta bowls with a turn of fresh black pepper.Garnish with lightly toasted, chopped Piedmontese hazelnuts for texture if desired.Pair with a glass of structured Piedmontese red wine, such as Nebbiolo or Barbera d'Alba.