Baked Homemade Gnocchi with Kale and White Beans
Bake It Up!
Inspired by my Grandma’s traditional Hungarian gnocchi, this recipe will have any aged human jumping for food joy and licking their bowls clean. Full of fresh, healthy and home cooked yumminess, you will be everyone’s favourite by the end of the meal for sure.
Unlike Italian gnocchi that is made from potatoes, the traditional Hungarian gnocchi is made from 4 simple and everyday ingredients - flour, egg, water and salt. Because of the history of Hungry, this recipe was developed due to the extreme poverty and lack of food supplies during the war. They were forced to create something out of nothing.
The tradition has carried on through generations - my great Grandparents, to my grandparents, to my parents and now to me. There is nothing like sharing a simple, healthy and versatile basic that will work no matter your location, financial situation and cuisine preferences.
I was taught this recipe paired with a hearty chicken dish and other Hungarian staples, but I now add it to soups, with salads or saturated by my favourite tomato sauce. I can sense that everyone I cook it for, now requires this for every dinner meeting. You have the chance to strike everyone with your cooking abilities (and only you know that it was this simple).
Baked Kale, Tomato and Basil Gnocchi
Ingredients
For Gnocchi
1 organic free range egg
½ cup of water
1 tsp of salt
2 cups of plain flour
For sauce
2 tbsp of olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 x 400gram tin of tomatoes
2 vine ripen tomatoes, roughy chopped
2 stalks of kale, washed and stem removed
1 x 400gram tin of butter beans
1 tbsp of Smoky paprika
2 sprigs of thyme
½ cup of grated mozzarella
Fresh basil for garnish
Method
Begin by making gnocchi batter - in a bowl, crack and whisk the egg. Add water and salt, mix well. Add 1 cup of flour at a time, mixing until combined between each. If too thick, add a splash of water and if batter is too thin, add a touch more flour. The batter should not be a pouring consistency but forming sticky clumps.
Set aside for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, cook sauce - in a large saucepan, add oil and onion with a pinch of salt. This helps the onion sweat and not burn. Once translucent, place garlic and thyme and cook for a further 1 minute. Add tomatoes, butter beans and paprika. Cook for 5-7 minutes or tomatoes break down and begin to thicken. Add kale and cook for 1-2 minutes. Set aside.
In a large pot, bring water to a boil and add a good pinch of salt. Once water is at a rolling boil, using your finger, bring apart spoonfuls of batter, dropping them into the boiling water. They should be about a finger nail in size. In a batches (normal 2), removing the floating gnocchi using a slotted spoon after each. Once batter is all cooked, turn off heat. Pre heat oven to grill (200 degree Celsius).
In a oven proof dish, place half the sauce, followed by the gnocchi and then the second half of the sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Place in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Serve immediately with fresh basil.
