Ingredient: bay leaves (optional)

Stuffed Gnocchi Bolognese

With origins dating back to ancient times, gnocchi hold a prominent place in Italian culinary history, where it has been passed down through generations as a cherished comfort food. Today, it continues to be an essential part of Italian cuisine, adopting different names depending on the origin.

Gnocchi (pronounced no-kee) are soft dumplings that may be made from wheat flour, rice, semolina, ricotta cheese, potatoes, or breadcrumbs.  Gnocchi are made throughout Italy, but the stuffed version is made mainly in the Piedmont region. The key to making delicate potato gnocchi is to add as little flour as possible but enough to keep the dough together. The filling should have a robust flavor so that it stands out from the potato dough. 

For our stuffed gnocchi today, I’m making an Asiago/ricotta filling served in a meaty Bolognese sauce. Yum!

Print Recipe
 Stuffed Gnocchi Bolognese
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Rate this recipe!
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Italian
Keyword stuffed gnocchi Bolognese
Servings
Ingredients
Stuffed Gnocchi
Bolognese Sauce
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Italian
Keyword stuffed gnocchi Bolognese
Servings
Ingredients
Stuffed Gnocchi
Bolognese Sauce
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Stuffed Gnocchi
  1. Boil the whole potatoes with their skins until you can easily pierce them all the way through (about 20-25 minutes, depending on the dimension of the potatoes), then wash them with cold water & remove the skin when they are still warm.
  2. Mash the potatoes while they are still warm & make sure there are no chunks; add a pinch of salt and ¾ of the flour. Mix well with your hands until a nice soft dough forms (but not sticky); if necessary, add some more flour. When the dough is ready, wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest & cool for about 10-15 minutes. In a small dish, combine finely grated Asiago with ricotta cheese.
  3. Cut the dough into 3 or 4 parts, take 1 part and cover the rest with plastic wrap so it doesn't dry. Dust the cutting board with flour & roll the dough with your palm to make a long thick cord about 2 cm in diameter, then cut chunks 2 cm long.
  4. Roll each cube between your palms to make balls then press them on your palm to make a disc. With a teaspoon, place a small amount of cheese in the center of the disc and close it on itself (make sure to cover the cheese well and close all the holes), roll it again between your palm to make the ball smooth & set it aside on a clean cloth.
  5. Bring to boil a large pot of salted water then slowly drop the gnocchi in & cook until they float on the surface. Drain, reserving 1 cup of starchy water. In a pan melt the butter and carefully add the drained gnocchi to sauté a little bit. Remove from pan, place in a dish until Bolognese sauce is ready.
Bolognese
  1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add diced celery, carrot & onion. Cook until veggies are soft tender. Add ground beef & let cook, breaking it apart until fully browned. Season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir in garlic & cook until fragrant.
  2. Stir in tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, water or stock, bay leaves & crushed red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer & cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaves.
  3. Add cooked gnocchi to Bolognese sauce & stream in reserved gnocchi water as needed if the mixture is too thick. Cook for an additional minute or so, taste and adjust seasoning, if needed.
  4. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan.

Russian Pelmeni

My love for noodles, dumplings, etc. probably could be accredited to my German heritage. This recipe for Russian pelmeni has been hovering in my ‘must try’ file for quite some time, so today’s the day.

It seems most food historians agree that these Russian dumplings originated in Siberia. Although pelmeni forms the heart of Russian cuisine and culture, it does have numerous look-a-likes in particular the Ukrainian vareniki and the Polish pierogi. The easiest way to spot the difference is to look at the shape and size; a typical pelmeni is almost circular and about two inches in diameter. The other forms are usually more elongated and larger in size.  Also, the fillings in pelmeni are usually raw, while the fillings of vareniki and pierogi are typically precooked. Pelmeni will never have a sweet filling , unlike its Ukrainian counterpart. The recipe may actually be an adaptation of Chinese pot stickers.

Fillings differ but essentially they are ground meat (pork, beef or sometimes lamb), fish or mushrooms as well as being quite spicy.

The word pelmeni comes from ‘pelnyan’ which means ‘bread ear’, a reference to the food’s ear-like shape.

Although this meal was favored by hunters who were looking for light, easy to prepare, nourishing food to take with them on long trips in the winter, its also seen as Russian fast food among students or bachelors.

This recipe gives you the option of making traditional pelmeni or using an alternate method called ‘lazy’ pelmeni. Both equally as good.

Print Recipe
 Russian Pelmeni
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Rate this recipe!
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine European
Keyword Russian pelmeni
Servings
Ingredients
Dough
Filling
For Cooking 'Lazy' Pelmeni
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine European
Keyword Russian pelmeni
Servings
Ingredients
Dough
Filling
For Cooking 'Lazy' Pelmeni
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Dough
  1. In a bowl, combine all dough ingredients & knead until a smooth dough ball forms, about 10 minutes. Cover, set aside & allow dough to rest until your filling is prepared.
Filling
  1. In a bowl, combine ground meats, onion, garlic, salt & pepper. Mix well.
Assembly
  1. FOR THE TRADITIONAL PELMENI: Divide the dough in half & roll each portion out into 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 2-inch diameter circles & place about a teaspoon of the filling on each circle. Fold the circle in half & crimp edges well, then bring the ends together & crimp. Repeat to use remaining dough & filling. It is best to refrigerate or freeze finished pelmeni before you are ready to boil them.
  2. To cook, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place pelmeni in the boiling water & cook until they float to the top then cook for about 5 minutes more. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Add butter & mix to coat. Serve with sour cream & fresh parsley.
  3. FOR 'LAZY' PELMENI VERSION: Once dough has rested, transfer to a floured surface. Roll out the dough into a large thin rectangle. Spread meat filling over the dough, leaving a 1/4-inch at the far side of the dough.
  4. Tightly roll the dough up, starting from the wider side, forming a log. Put seam side down to seal the edges. Seal ends of the dough as well. Using a very sharp knife, cut the dough log into 2-inch sections.
  5. In a large skillet that will accommodate all pelmeni, heat oil & cook onion until translucent. Add garlic & continue cooking until fragrant. Add carrot & 1 bay leaf; cook until the carrot is tender, about 1-2 minutes.
  6. Place pelmeni rolls into the skillet with veggies, add the vegetable broth, salt, pepper & the other bay leaf. Cover with the lid & cook for 30 minutes on low heat. Check pelmeni from time to time, to make sure there is liquid in the skillet. Add more if it evaporates too fast. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve immediately with sour cream if you wish.