Beetroot gnocchi
Sweet and rich beetroot gives gnocchi a new color and flavor. The beetroot's favorite pairing, salty blue cheese, works perfectly in this recipe too.
- 800 g beetroot
- 1 egg yolk
- 20 g parmesan (½ dl grated)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- approx. 5 dl wheat flour
- 2 garlic cloves
- 100 g kale or spinach
- 50g butter
- 150 g blue cheese
- 40 g parmesan (1 dl grated)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper from a mill
- 4 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts or walnuts
- Prepare the beets the day before. Wash the beets and boil them until tender, about 40 minutes. Peel and puree the beets when they have cooled.
- Add the egg yolk, grated Parmesan and salt to the beetroot puree. Mix until smooth. Add the flour in two batches. Add more flour if necessary if the mixture feels too wet. Mix well, but do not over-knead the dough, as this will make it tough.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead until smooth. Shape the dough into a finger-thick log and cut the log into pieces about 3 cm thick.
- Prepare the other ingredients for the gnocchi pan. Peel and chop the garlic cloves. Remove the center stem from the kale and chop the leaves. Sauté the garlic in the butter until tender, about 5 minutes. Be careful not to brown the garlic. Add the kale or spinach. Fry for a few minutes. Crumble in almost all of the blue cheese.
- Measure 2 l of water and 2 tsp of salt into a saucepan. Bring the water to a boil and cook the gnocchi in the water in a few batches. The cooking time is about 2–3 minutes. The gnocchi are cooked when they rise to the surface. Lift the gnocchi into the pan with a slotted spoon, drain the water. Stir the ingredients together. Finish the dish with parmesan, pepper, nuts and finally blue cheese.
Winter beetroot gnocchi are perfect for intimate weekend dinners with friends. The dish is full of strong flavours, as the gnocchi is accompanied by blue cheese and hazelnuts or walnuts. The kale, which adds greenery, goes well with the strong flavours of the dish.
The spicy, full-bodied wine works well with the sweetness of the beetroot. A fruity white wine brimming with apricot and honeydew melon flavors, Chapoutier Domaine des Granges de Mirabel Viognier 2019, €17.99, comes from the French Rhône. The wine's versatile flavor profile doesn't lag behind the salty and strong blue cheese, but also highlights its flavor. A berry and herbaceous, lightly oaked option is Poderi Cellario Uvaintera Langhe Dolcetto 2018, €17.70 (custom selection), from Italy. The lightness of the Dolcetto grape works with the juiciness of the beetroot, brightening up the whole.
The wine recommendation was given by Terhi Oksanen-Alén.
