Potato Gnocchi with Taleggio Sauce

Wash potatoes well, and leave skins on.  Place cleaned potatoes into large pot of salted water, and proceed to boil over high heat. 

When potatoes are softened, drain and peel while still warm.  Using potato smasher, smash potatoes relatively finely. 

Place onto well-floured kitchen surface.  Add pinch of salt and flour.  Proceed to combine well, until you have a compact dough that is still soft. 

Add egg, and continue to blend and combine ingredients until you have a dough without lumps, and that is nicely compact.


Chefs' note:  we recommend using starchy white potatoes in the preparation of gnocchi, to bind dough better.

Roll dough out (using hands) into several logs, and proceed to cut with kitchen knife into 1" pieces. 

As you remove gnocchi from your surface, place onto well-floured plate or tray.  

Once you've cut all logs into smaller pieces, gently indent fork tines onto each piece for characteristic gnocchi tops.  Press down very gently.  Repeat with all gnocchi segments.

Coarsely dice Taleggio cheese, removing rind. 

In a medium sauce pot, place milk and diced Taleggio cheese.  Over a very low heat, the lowest possible, allow cheese to melt into milk. 

Add egg yolk in order to make cheese and milk bind together.  Adjust with salt to taste.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 180C. 

Boil small pot of water, and add walnuts into boiling water.  Allow to cook 2 minutes. 

Remove a few at a time from water using a slotted spoon and peel as soon as cool enough to handle.  Don't allow to cool too much otherwise the skin won't come off the nuts and the taste becomes bitter. 

Place immediately into wax-paper lined baking tray, and place inside your preheated oven just long enough to let the walnuts dry from boiling process. 

Remove from heat, and using either sharp kitchen knife or food processor, finely mince.  Set aside.

To cook and complete Potato Gnocchi dish, bring large pot of salted water to boil.

Place gnocchi pieces into boiling salted water, and allow to boil over medium-high heat until the gnocchi float to the surface. 

Drain, and place into sauté pan with the Taleggio cheese sauce.  Toss well to combine gnocchi and cheese sauce. 

Place onto individual serving plates, top with a sprinkle of the prepared walnuts, and serve hot.