Restaurant Recipes
Kaspar's Light Basil and Spinach
Gnocchi with Asiago Cheese Sauce
You'll need a pastry bag and a juicer for this recipe. This is French-style gnocchi. After the gnocchi have been boiled, they are put into a low casserole dish, covered with the cheese sauce and baked until golden brown. This suggests one large casserole dish; small individual casseroles could be used instead.
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
Gnocchi
- Olive oil to oil dish
- 8 ounces fresh spinach
- 1 cup water
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups flour
- 4 large eggs
- 3 basil leaves, julienned
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Asiago Cheese Sauce
- 2 cups heavy (whipping) cream
- 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, or more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup Asiago cheese, grated
- Fresh basil sprigs for garnish
Instructions
Gnocchi
- Coat the inside of a large low-sided casserole dish with olive oil.
- Process the spinach through a juicer and strain; you will need 1/2 cup of spinach juice.
- In a heavy saucepan, combine the water, butter, and salt and bring to a rolling boil.
- Add the flour all at once and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a loose ball and pulls away from the sides and bottom of the pan.
- Remove from heat and transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer. Begin to mix on low speed, allowing the dough to cool slightly.
- Slowly incorporate the 1/2 cup of spinach juice, then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly between
each addition. Stop the mixer after adding the second egg and scrape down the sides.
- When all eggs are incorporated, mix in the basil, nutmeg, and pepper. The dough will be soft.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Put the gnocchi dough in a pastry bag with no tip. Squeeze the dough out over the boiling water, cutting off 1 inch at a time with a small knife and letting it drop into the water. Simmer for 2 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon, drain the liquid, and transfer the gnocchi to the prepared casserole dish. Do not try to cook all the gnocchi at once; cook in batches, and do not crowd the pot.
Asiago Cheese Sauce
- Combine the cream, red pepper flakes, salt, and 3/4 cup of the cheese in a heavy saucepan. Place over medium heat and stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
Assembly
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Spoon the sauce over the gnocchi in the casserole dish.
- Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until a golden brown crust has formed on the top.
- To serve: Present with basil sprigs on top.
Attribution
Posted by LladyRusty at recipegoldmine.com 1/13/2002 2:38 pm.
Source: Recipe by Kaspar Donier, Kaspar's, Seattle Washington - The Discovery Channel