The city of Venice is one defined by its heritage - from the grand Byzantine architecture that rises from the landscape to its labyrinthine canals and waterways. A direct path to the Adriatic Sea, echoes of the Ottoman Empire ring throughout the city. The Venice Carnival is one of the most famous carnivals in the world lasting throughout the last ten days of February. It is an occasion where both tourists and locals alike, celebrate in full masquerade attire in La Serenissima – a longstanding nickname for Venice meaning ‘most serene’. Historically, Venice was a prominent European centre-point for maritime trade, thus its 'serenity' is often attributed to the wealth, prosperity and most importantly, peace this trade brought with it.
The fanciful tradition of wearing masks began during the 13th century, although during that time the period of celebration lasted for months over the winter period, as opposed to days. The masqueraded balls and parties became primarily a chance for those from all social backgrounds to gather and indulge in an abundance of festivities together without the fear of reproach. Some of these masks are veritable works of art with imaginative and mysterious designs, decked in feathers, rhinestones, lace and any other whimsical decorations you can think of! Discover even more about this fantastical Carnival here.
So, to honour of the array of colours seen at this bustling and joyful annual event, we’ve created the ultimate colourful Carnival gnocchi recipe for you to try your hand at. Although a slight labour of love, it’s a perfect activity to do with a group of friends whilst sipping on an Apérol Spritz, the ultimate tipple of Veneto!
Preparation time: 2 hours
Serves: 14-16
Calories per serving: 268kcal
Ingredients
Yellow gnocchi:
500 g of cooked potato, riced
150 g 00 flour
½ egg
Pinch of salt
Orange gnocchi:
500g cooked pumpkin, riced
350 g cooked red potato, riced
200 g 00 flour
½ egg
Pinch of salt
Purple gnocchi:
500g cooked potato, riced
2 tablespoons cooked beetroot, blended
150g 00 flour
½ egg
Pinch of salt
Green gnocchi:
500g cooked potato, riced
300g fresh spinach, wilted & blended *It’s very important to remove any excess water from the spinach – you can do this using your potato ricer!
200g 00 flour
½ egg
Pinch of salt
Supermarket list:
To make things easier when you head to the shops, here is a condensed summery of the above ingredients:
- 2kg red potatoes
- 100g cooked beetroot
- 300g spinach
- 600g+ Pumpkin (usually yields around half the weight of the fresh pumpkin)
- 700g 00 flour + more for dusting & shaping
- 2-3 eggs
- salt
Tools
Potato ricer
Kitchen Aid blender
Wooden board
Sharp knife
Method
Making the Gnocchi Dough
- On a flat surface or wooden board, place your potato, slightly spread out in a circle. Sprinkle ¾ of your flour, holding a little back, and begin to mix using your hands.
- Once a little mixed, make a well in the mixture and add half of a beaten egg and a pinch of salt, then continue to mix. If dough is really wet, then you can add the rest of the flour. *Chef’s Tip: avoid the temptation to add more flour than the original amount, gnocchi dough is wetter due to the potato but too much extra flour will affect the taste when cooked.
- Once the dough is combined (around 5-7 mins), roll into a sausage shape, cover with cling film and allow to rest. *Chef’s Tip: Don’t over-work the dough – the more you knead, the more the potato will absorb the flour which will tempt you to add more and more flour.
For the Green & Orange Gnocchi
- For each of the coloured doughs, mix in the colour-giving ingredient (pumpkin or spinach here) a little with the potato before adding the flour, egg & salt.
- Continue with the same instructions as above.
For the Purple Gnocchi
- For this colour, mix the potato and most of the flour together a bit. This will allow the potato to absorb the flour and thus prevent the beetroot from staining your wooden board or surface as much.
- *Please note that this won’t prevent some colour from staining so please bear in mind if using a kitchen surface when making these gnocchi
Shaping the Gnocchi
- To shape the gnocchi, cut a small section from the dough using a pasta scraper or a sharp knife.
- Dust with some extra flour and begin to roll out into a long snake. If it’s too long for your counter or wooden board, you can cut a segment off and continue to roll.
- Once you have the size you like, begin to cut the dough using a sharp knife. Traditional gnocchi will be just under 2cm and 1.5cm thick, however, you can also choose to roll the dough out even smaller to create gnochette which are around 1cm squared.
- For a rustic look, leave as is after cutting. Alternatively, you can gently roll in your hands to form a neater ball.
- Repeat with all of the coloured doughs
Cooking the Gnocchi
- Bring a large pot of salty water to boil and place pour in the gnocchi. If using the full recipe, it might be easier to do this in a couple of batches.
- Cook for 1-2 minutes. The trick is, when the gnocchi begin to float to the surface, they are done.
- Remove from the pot using a slotted spoon
What sauce to pair with your Gnocchi with:
As these delicious colourful gnocchi are already flavoured from the vegetables used to dye them, we recommend using a lighter sauce. Chef Roberta recommends a simple sage butter or perhaps some chopped cherry tomatoes and fresh basil. For more sauce inspiration, check out our blog on the 9 Best Sauces for Gnocchi.
How to Store your Gnocchi:
Made slightly more gnocchi than you anticipated? Perhaps you want to savour the fruits of your labour over several delicious meals? Below are a few simple steps for storing your fresh gnocchi, whether it’s cooked or uncooked:
- Place your gnocchi into a plastic container with an airtight lid
- If you need to store your gnocchi in layers, place some greaseproof paper or cooking parchment between each layer to prevent the gnocchi from sticking together (once frozen they can be stored in a freezer bag together, no problem).
- Store in the fridge for up to 48 hours.
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