Today’s Regional Italian recipe comes from the region I grew up in: Lombardy. To be precise, this recipe is from Valchiavenna, an Alpine valley to the north of Lake Como. It is a truly beautiful area and the food you can eat there is genuine and very much linked to the territory and local produce. Also, being an Alpine area, you will find lots of delicious cheese and butter in the local cuisine. This recipe is no exception and it is comfort food at its best. Chestnut gnocchi are very hearty and are more similar to home-made pasta than gnocchi in consistency. They have an almost nutty flavour that goes perfectly well with melted butter and sage. The addition of slices of cheese and grated Parmigiano Reggiano makes this dish almost impossible to resist… I can never pass on gooey cheese-anything! Serve these gnocchi hot with some freshly ground pepper and you will be in heaven!
Chestnut Gnocchi Valchiavenna style
How to make a traditional dish from the Italian Alps: Chestnut Gnocchi Valchiavenna style, with gooey cheese and butter.
Ingredients
- 1 batch of Chestnut Gnocchi
- 1 lt - 4 1/4 cups chicken stock
- 80 gms - 5 tbsp butter
- 6 sage leaves
- 200 gms - 7 oz. Magnocca cheese I used Fontal, thinly sliced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Parmigiano Reggiano finely grated
Instructions
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Put the butter, sage and salt in a pan and put it on a low fire until the butter melts. Do not brown the butter or the sauce will taste burnt.
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Cook the chestnut gnocchi as per the instructions that you find here but use the chicken stock instead of water.
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When the gnocchi are cooked, remove them with a slotted spoon and put them in the pan with the butter and sage sauce. Mix well on low fire for a minute or two, then take a serving dish and put a layer of gnocchi at the bottom. Add some sliced cheese, some Parmigiano Reggiano and ground pepper, then put another layer of gnocchi and so on until you run out of gnocchi.
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Serve hot!
These look delicious. Being grain-free has meant no pasta but I am now wondering if I could make potato or chestnut gnocchi with coconut flour instead of ordinary flour. I guess I can only try.
I adore the taste of chestnuts and I’m sure I’d love these gnocchi. And, of course, anything with cheese…
This sounds amazing! It is from a region that I didn’t visit in my recent holiday to Italy but will definately keep in mind on a return visit. I’m told it is breathtaking as must be the food!
Very often I see some unusual sounding recipes here! Chestnut gnocchi?! and with that melting cheese.. looks lovely!
i’d never heard of chestnut gnocchi before but i bet they are wonderful!
This looks great!
What a great idea, I really love chestnuts and gnocchi and a combo of these two would really make me feel in heaven:).