Beetroot Gnocchi with Arugula & Ricotta
Fresh beetroot gives this potato gnocchi an amazing colour and a sweet subtle flavour. Combined with the peppery aruglua and the creamy mild taste of the vegan ricotta its a truly wonderful dish.
Beetroot Gnocchi with Arugula & Ricotta
Recipe Type: Entree. Main.
Cuisine: Italian
Author:
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 200g Beetroot
- 2 tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
- 1kg Potatoes
- 250g Plain Flour (plus extra to dust)
- Non-Dairy Butter
- 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
- 200ml Vegetable Stock
- Reserved beetroot cooking liquid
- Arugula (Rocket) leaves
- Vegan Ricotta (I use Tofutti)
Instructions
- Peel beetroot and cut into pieces. Cover with water in a pot and add vinegar. Bring to the boil and cook until tender (about 40 minutes). When the beetroot is cool enough to handle, puree it in a food processor and make sure you keep the cooking liquid. Use a tiny amount of the cooking liquid if you wish but as little as possible otherwise your gnocchi will be too wet and sticky.
- Meanwhile, peel and steam the potatoes until you can slide a skewer or knife right through them. Remove the steam basket from the pot, tip out the water and replace the potatoes on top of the warm pot to steam dry.
- When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, ideally pass them through a potato ricer or mouli. If you do not have either of these simply use a potato masher but don’t over work the potato when mashing.
- In a food processor place the potato, flour, salt and pepper and half the beetroot puree and mix quickly until just combined. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a bench top dusted with flour. Work gently to amalgamate the dough. Do not overwork it.
- Dust a large tray with flour and divide the dough into 8. Use your hands to roll long snake-like lengths and use your thumb as a guide to the thickness. Cut into 1.5 cm pieces and roll each one across the gnocchi board or the back of a floured fork. Place the gnocchi on the floured tray ensuring they do not touch each other.
- Heat the non dairy butter in a frying pan, add the garlic and fry until golden. Add the stock, reserved beetroot cooking liquid, salt and pepper and leave to simmer gently while you cook the gnocchi.
- Cook the gnocchi in four batches, in plenty of boiling salted water. Slide the gnocchi gently off the trays into the water. When the gnocchi float to the surface they are cooked so remove them gently with a slotted spoon and add to the frying pan. Toss them in the pan gently to coat them with the glossy sauce.
- Transfer to serving dishes and top with dollops of ricotta, arugula and some cracked pepper.
- Tip:
- Freeze uncooked gnocchi on the trays and once frozen transfer single portions into glad bags for easy meals.
