Baked gnocchi with taleggio and truffle (Gnocchi al forno con taleggio e tartufi)

Truffles have an unparalleled earthiness that sings of something deep and mystical when you take a sniff of one, and they are best used in a simple dish with eggs, pasta, rice or gnocchi. A less expensive but reasonable substitute for truffles is truffle oil, which you can find in a reputable delicatessen.

Baked gnocchi with taleggio and truffle Credit: Paola Bacchia

• serves

  4

• prep

  40 minutes

• cook

  1:10 hour

• difficulty

  Mid

"Driving from the town of Buie/Buje, heading to the south-east, the hilltop town of Montona/Motovun appears as if in an old-style fable. It is often shrouded in mist, with only the very top of it peeking through. And perhaps the forests surrounding Montona are enchanted, if you believe that the edible odd-shaped balls found under the ground near oak trees are the stuff of magic. There is a thriving truffle industry in central Istria, with both the highly prized white and black truffles being available for a large part of the year."

Ingredients

• 1 x quantity Potato gnocchi (recipe below)
• 125 g taleggio, rind removed
• 150 ml pouring cream
• 60 ml (¼ cup) milk
• sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• unsalted butter, for greasing
• 1 handful grated parmesan
• fresh black or white truffle, for shaving – or truffle oil, for drizzling

Potato gnocchi

Serves 4

• 1 kg potatoes (such as King Edward, Desiree or other red potatoes)
• sea salt
• 1 small egg, lightly beaten
• 250 g (1⅔ cups) plain flour, approximately, plus extra for dusting

Instructions

1. To make the gnocchi, wash the potatoes clean of any dirt and pat dry. Place them whole directly on an oven rack and turn the oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced).
2. After about 30–60 minutes, when the potatoes are cooked through and pierce easily with a fork, cut them in half and scoop out the insides with a spoon. Discard the potato skins (or place them back in the oven and turn them into crisps).
3. Rice the potatoes using a potato ricer (if you have discs with different sized holes in them, use the one with the smallest holes). Alternatively you can use a potato masher, though the resulting gnocchi may not be as smooth.
4. Spread the riced potatoes out on a clean, unfloured work surface (if you pile them up, they will steam and form moisture). While still warm, sprinkle over salt to taste, followed by the egg, incorporating evenly with the tines of a fork.
5. Sprinkle with about 150 g (1 cup) of the flour, and incorporate that evenly, again with the tines of your fork. Use a pastry scraper, and eventually your hands, to bring the mixture together, adding more of the remaining flour as needed. The mixture should be soft, but hold its shape, and should not be sticky. Try not to overmix or knead. When you think the consistency is right, scrape the dough off your work surface.
6. Clean your work surface and dust with flour, then place the dough back in its original spot.
7. Bring a small saucepan of salted water to the boil, so you can test a few gnocchi before rolling them all out.
8. Cut narrow logs of dough, no more than 5 cm thick. Roll each log into a thick sausage about 3–4 cm thick, then cut off pieces about 3–4 cm long. Toss them in some extra flour. Roll on the back of a fork (or a gnocchi board) if you like; the gnocchi will catch the sauce better, but this is not strictly necessary.
9. Test one or two gnocchi in the boiling salted water. They will take a few minutes to float, which indicates they are ready; they should not fall apart. Taste for salt and for texture. If they do fall apart, or they taste too much like potatoes, work in a bit of extra flour, up to the maximum of 250 g (1⅔ cups). If you need more flour than this, it is possible that your gnocchi will become quite tough – and it possibly means that your potatoes were too wet.
10. When you are happy with the taste and consistency of your test gnocchi, roll and cut out the remaining gnocchi. Place on a lightly floured surface and cover with a clean cloth. Hopefully your sauce will be ready, or close to ready, as the longer you wait, the softer your gnocchi will become.
11. When you have finished preparing the gnocchi, but before cooking them, chop the taleggio into small pieces and place in a small saucepan with the cream and milk over low heat. You want the cheese to melt slowly as the milk and cream warm through. Give it the occasional stir until the cheese has melted completely, about 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
12. Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced). Grease the base and sides of a 20 cm x 30 cm baking dish with a little butter.
13. As the cheesy sauce is cooking, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Cook the gnocchi, in batches if needed, for a couple of minutes, or until they rise to the surface.
14. Using a large slotted spoon, carefully transfer the gnocchi to the baking dish in a single layer. Pour the creamy taleggio sauce over the top, then scatter with a handful of parmesan – don't add too much or it will overpower the dish.
15. Bake on the top shelf of the oven for about 8 minutes, or until the parmesan has melted and is turning golden.
16. Top with as much shaved truffle as you like (or as much as you have), or else a good drizzle of truffle oil. Spoon the gnocchi and cheese sauce onto warmed serving plates and serve immediately.

 

Istria: Recipes and stories from the hidden heart of Italy, Slovenia and Croatia by Paola Bacchia, published by Smith Street Books (RRP $55.00). Photography by Paola Bacchia.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

"Driving from the town of Buie/Buje, heading to the south-east, the hilltop town of Montona/Motovun appears as if in an old-style fable. It is often shrouded in mist, with only the very top of it peeking through. And perhaps the forests surrounding Montona are enchanted, if you believe that the edible odd-shaped balls found under the ground near oak trees are the stuff of magic. There is a thriving truffle industry in central Istria, with both the highly prized white and black truffles being available for a large part of the year."