Stinging Nettle Gnocchi

Stinging Nettle Gnocchi Recipe

For this Stinging Nettle Gnocchi recipe you do need to use a floury potato (we used King Edwards), to avoid using too much flour in the recipe.

It is possible to freeze the uncooked Stinging Nettle gnocchi (after they have been shaped and lightly dusted in flour to stop them sticking) for a week or two and then cooking them from frozen.

Stinging Nettle Gnocchi Recipe Ingredients

  • 600g potatoes, peeled and cut into even-sized pieces
  • 150g well-washed nettle tops
  • 2 egg yolks
  • Salt and pepper
  • 120g plain flour (Little rice flour or Dove’s Farm gluten-free to coat)
  • 75g butter
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
  • 12 sage leaves, finely shredded
  • 50g freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • Few chopped nuts, I used cob nuts as they were in season but walnuts or pecans would work equally well.

Stinging Nettle Gnocchi Recipe Instructions

  1. Boil the potatoes in boiling water until tender, drain and mash really well.
  2. Put about a centimetre of water in the bottom of a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the nettle tops and cook for 5 minutes and then quickly cool them under cold running water. Tip into a sieve and squeeze out all the liquid with the back of a wooden spoon. Place in a food processor and chop finely then stir them into the potatoes.
  3. Add the 2 egg yolks and season well.
  4. Add most of the flour and quickly mix it in. The secret of good gnocchi is to use sufficient flour to hold the mixture together but not too much that they become heavy. If the dough does not feel too sticky, break off a piece and roll it into a ball, drop it into boiling water to test. If after a few minutes it floats to the top without losing its shape, then do not add more flour. To shape the rest I find it easiest to break off individual pieces and roll them into a ball with hands floured with rice flour, placing each finished one on a floured plate. Another way is to divide the mixture into 4 and roll each into a finger width. Cut into 2cm pieces and roll each one into an oval.
  5. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, drop half the gnocchi (about 16) into the pan and cook until they have all floated to the surface. Leave them to cook for a further 10 seconds, then lift them out with a slotted spoon on to a hot plate lined with kitchen paper. Repeat with the remaining gnocchi.
  6. While the gnocchi are cooking, place the butter, garlic and sage in a small saucepan and fry for 1-2 minutes.
  7. Divide the gnocchi between four plates, pour over the sauce and sprinkle over the parmesan and nuts. Serve immediately.
  8. ALTERNATIVE. Instead of sage butter the gnocchi could be served with a simple tomato sauce.

Serves: 4

Further reading: Traditional and Modern Use of Stinging Nettle