When I first made this gnocchi, I sat on my front stoop and ate it with a glass of cold white wine, and everything was right in the world. This recipe uses all the best spring produce like fresh arugula, basil, and leeks to make a delicious white wine butter sauce to toss with the sourdough gnocchi. And if you want to use store bought gnocchi, by all means! The sauce by itself is incredible.
I wanted to try my hand at bread gnocchi because texturally, it sounded more interesting than gnocchi’s potato counterpart. Using sourdough bread added a tartness that paired perfectly with the richness of the leek broth. Sourdough Gnocchi is a lot of work, but it’s a fun weekend project if you have a little extra time on your hands. I used fresh sourdough from the store, so I made a point to dry them out in the oven to prevent the dough from being too moist. You can also use stale sourdough with the same effect. The bread is soaked in milk then crushed up into a paste before adding egg, parmesan, and flour to make a nice dough that will be rolled out like a play doh snake and cut into dumplings. Again, no shame in the store bought gnocchi game if this sounds like too much work.
I hope you enjoy this springy sourdough gnocchi with buttery leek broth! See the full recipe below and let me know what you think!
- 16 oz loaf of sourdough
- 1¾ cup whole milk
- 1 large egg, whisked
- ¼ cup grated parmigiano reggiano
- salt and pepper
- 1¼ cups all purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 2 leeks
- 2 tbsp butter, divided
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp red chili flakes (or less)
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- ¼ cup grated parmigiano reggiano
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- a couple of handfuls of fresh arugula (about 1½ cups)
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Cut off the crusts from the bread and discard. Tear the bread into 1 inch pieces onto a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, until the bread has dried out slightly but not browned. Alternately, you could skip this step and simply use stale bread.
- Add the dried out bread to a large mixing bowl. Pour the milk over the bread and stir. Let it soak for 5 minutes, or until the bread has absorbed all the milk and softened. Use your hands to crush up the bread into small pieces. Add the egg, parmigiano reggiano, a couple pinches of salt and a couple grinds of pepper. Stir with a wooden spoon.
- Add the flour ¼ cup at a time mixing between additions. Lightly form the dough into a ball. Coat your hands and work surface in flour.
- Prepare a parchment lined baking sheet. Bring a large pot of about 4 qts of water to a boil. Grab a golf ball sized piece of dough. Roll it into a ball in your hands and roll it between your hands into a long tube, like a play-doh snake. Roll it out until it's about ½ inch thick. Cut it into 1 inch pieces and place the pieces on your parchment lined baking sheet. Continue until all the gnocchi is cut.
- If you would like, use a fork to gently roll each piece over the tines to create texture. (optional)
- Boil the gnocchi for 5 minutes and drain when cooked. They should float to the top of the water. I recommend making your sauce while the gnocchi boils.
- Cut off the leek root ends and the green leaves where the leek begins to fork and discard. Rinse the leeks under cold water. Cut them in half longways and slice them crosswise into thin strips. In a deep skillet or dutch oven or large pot over medium heat, add 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the chili flakes, leeks, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Sauté until leeks are softened, about 4 minutes.
- Add the white wine, increase the heat to medium high, and let it reduce for a minute or two. Add the vegetable broth. Once bubbling, add the parmesan and remaining tablespoon of butter and stir vigorously and continuously, creating an emulsion so everything is well combined.
- Add the cooked drained gnocchi to the pan and toss to coat. Remove from heat. Add the fresh basil and arugula and toss. Serve immediately.
