mashed potato gnocchi alla nerano
leftovers aren’t meant to die in the fridge, they deserve a second life at the same table. so, say it louder for the people in the back— LESS FOOD WASTE WINS!! this recipe is loosely based on pasta alla nerano, a sauce from the coast of sorrento, made of fried zucchini & provolone; here, the cheese is subbed with aromatics & broth— but don’t worry, it holds true to its creamy, delicious roots.
prep time: 20 mins
cook time: 30 mins
2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
1.5 cups all-purpose flour, plus a little more for dusting
1 egg, whisked
1/3 cup pecorino romano, grated
2 TB olive oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 large zucchini, chopped, a bit saved for tossing
1/2 cup chicken broth
a handful of basil leaves
1 TB butter
2 TB lemon juice, zest saved for garnish
salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
place potatoes directly onto a clean surface & cover with flour; using a bench-scraper, or your hands, gently cut the flour into the potato
create a well in the center of the mixture. add the egg, pecorino & a bit of pepper into the well. gently knead until a dough forms
cut the dough into 6 evenly sized pieces. working from the center out, roll each into a long rope
cut each rope into individual, bite-sized pieces & transfer to a floured baking sheet; reserve
prepare zucchini cream: heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add shallots, garlic & salt. sauté until aromatic, about 3 minutes. add zucchini & cook until the flesh turns a brighter green, about 4 minutes; add broth & simmer until reduced by half. transfer to a food processor, add basil & blend until smooth, reserve
bring a large pot of salted water to a soft boil & gently add gnocchi; cook until they float
while waiting for the water to boil, prepare the same pan you cooked the zucchini in for the gnocchi: heat butter over medium heat until it begins to brown, add reserved zucchini pieces & lemon
using a fine-mesh strainer, transfer gnocchi directly from the water to the pan & toss.
remove from heat, spoon zucchini cream into the pan & toss until coated
spoon gnocchi into a shallow dish; garnish with basil & lemon zest
serves 4
notes from dy:
the amount of flour needed will be dependent on how enriched your mashed potatoes are; dryer potatoes with less additives will require the listed 1 cup of flour, potatoes with lots of butter & cream will require more; add extra flour in tablespoon increments
any herbs on hand will work in place of, or with, the basil; pictured is a combination of mint & chives. soft stem herbs work best here
watch dy make it:
check out this tiktok for a play-by-play video of the process