Homemade Swiss Chard Gnocchi with Butter and Sage Sauce

Making gnocchi is similar to making pasta dough, but mashed potatoes are used in place of some of the flour in the dough.  The dough becomes more flexible than pasta dough, and it can be easily rolled into gnocchi shapes without a pasta machine using just the tines of a fork.  Here, big bunches of cooked swiss chard add more color and nutrition to the traditional recipe.

I made a double recipe of this swiss chard gnocchi and used half for my Skillet Gnocchi with Greens and Beans published last month, and then froze half of it.  To defrost, I let it sit out for about half an hour to and then I reheated it in a pan with brown butter and sage sauce, recipe below.


Homemade Swiss Chard Gnocchi
Adapted from Myra Kornfeld's class on cooking in Provence at the Natural Gourmet Institute

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds russet potatoes (about 3 large)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 bunches Swiss chard (about 1 1/4 pounds), stems removed)
1 large egg
About 1 cup white flour

DIRECTIONS:

Prick the skins of the potatoes and then bake them in a 400 degree oven for about 1 hour or until tender.  Peel the potatoes while they are still warm.  Mash potatoes in a large bowl until smooth.  Mix in salt and pepper.

Wash the chard and then wilt it in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently to push the uncooked leaves to the bottom of the pot.  The water clinging to the leaves from washing them is enough to cook them.  Cook until the leaves have wilted and shrunken and are bright green.  Drain the chard and cool.  Squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible and finely chop the chard.

Mix the chard into the potato mixture and stir in the egg.   Gradually add the flour to form a soft, slightly sticky dough.

Bring a 6 quart pot of cold water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Prepare a floured or parchment covered baking sheet and set aside.  Cut the dough into several pieces.  Working in batches, roll each piece into a long roll about 1 inch in diameter.  Cut the rolls into 3/4 inch long pieces.  Using the floured tines of a fork, lightly press and roll each piece down the length of the tines, forming the gnocchi into an indented curve shape.  Transfer the gnocchi to the baking sheet.

Cook the gnocchi by placing it in the boiling water.  When they rise to the top, wait another 30 seconds or so before removing.

To serve, either sauce the gnocchi with butter and sage sauce (below) after cooking and draining them or saute them in butter and sage sauce for several minutes after boiling them until they are browned and crispy.

Classic Butter and Sage Sauce

INGREDIENTS:
1 stick butter
Handful fresh sage leaves

DIRECTIONS:
Heat the butter until it browns slightly; add the sage leaves and cook a few minutes longer.  Pour over gnocchi and serve.