I have always wanted to try making whole wheat gnocchi. Gnocchi is one of my favourite Italian dishes and the Smitten Kitchen cookbook is one of my favourite cookbooks. So, when I found the gnocchi recipe inside this cookbook, I knew I had to try it, in whole wheat form. I have never had gnocchi in a broth – usually it’s in a thick rich tomato or cream sauce, so I was intrigued about having these little delicious potato pastas in a tasty tomato broth!

In the recipe all-purpose flour is used; I switched half of it out for whole wheat flour. Also I doubled the vegetables for the broth and instead of straining all of the vegetables out, I left them in. (I didn’t have to heart to not eat them!) Lastly, I used a jar of Italian tomato puree (from the Italian Centre) instead of a can of crushed tomatoes.

Here is the whole wheat gnocchi in tomato broth recipe from Smitten Kitchen with the above adaptations – it was so good it was featured on Food Network Canada’s Great Canadian Cookbook! 

Whole Wheat Gnocchi in Tomato Broth

Bake potatoes at 400 degrees for about an hour; until a knife can easily pierce through. Let potatoes cool. Meanwhile prepare the broth.

Heat oil in a pot over medium heat and add carrot, celery, onion and garlic and cook until soft and onions and garlic start to brown. Pour in the wine and stir around, scrapping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until wine reduces to half; about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree, basil and chicken stock and simmer for about 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

To make the gnocchi, peel the cooled potatoes and grate them into a bowl. (If you have a potato ricer, you can run them through that.)

Once the potatoes are grated, add in the beaten egg and salt, and then add in the flours, 1/2 a cup at a time. Keep mixing and adding in the flour until the mixture forms a dough that isn’t too sticky. Knead the dough on a floured surface for a few minutes. Divide the dough into quarters and roll each piece into a long rope, about 3/4 inch thick. Cut the rope into 3/4 in lengths, making the gnocchi. There are some neat tools you can use here to make the gnocchi ridges if you want. (e.g. Gnocchi Board or Gnocchi Stripper)

Once you have cut all your whole wheat gnocchi you can put them on a tray lined with parchment paper. You can freeze them this way if you want, and then when they are frozen transfer them from the tray into a freezer bag.

To cook the gnocchi get a pot of well-salted water boiling and drop the gnocchi into the pot. Cook the whole wheat gnocchi until they float, about 2 minutes. (If you are cooking from frozen, let them cook 3-4 minutes)

Drain the cooked whole wheat gnocchi. Add 10-12 cooked gnocchi to a bowl and add hot tomato broth to the bowl. Garnish with a fresh piece of basil and some grated parmesan cheese. A slice of garlic toast goes nicely as well, and can soak up the broth at the end!

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Gnocchi in Tomato Broth

Delicious gnocchi complemented in a light tomato broth.

Ingredients

Tomato Broth

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 medium carrots chopped
• 2 medium stalks of celery chopped
• 1 large yellow onion chopped
• 4 garlic cloves peeled and smashed
• 1 jar of Italian tomato puree 341 mL
• 1/2 cup white wine
• handful of fresh basil plus more for garnish
• 2 cups of chicken stock
• salt and pepper

Gnocchi

• 4 Russet potatoes
• 1 large egg beaten
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour

Instructions

1. Bake potatoes at 400 degrees for about an hour; until a knife can easily pierce through. Let potatoes cool. Meanwhile prepare the broth.
2. Heat oil in a pot over medium heat and add carrot, celery, onion and garlic and cook until soft and onions and garlic start to brown. Pour in the wine and stir around, scrapping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until wine reduces to half; about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree, basil and chicken stock and simmer for about 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3. To make the gnocchi, peel the cooled potatoes and grate them into a bowl. (If you have a potato ricer, you can run them through that.)
4. Once the potatoes are grated, add in the beaten egg and salt, and then add in the flours, 1/2 a cup at a time. Keep mixing and adding in the flour until the mixture forms a dough that isn’t too sticky. Knead the dough on a floured surface for a few minutes. Divide the dough into quarters and roll each piece into a long rope, about 3/4 inch thick. Cut the rope into 3/4 in lengths, making the gnocchi. There are some neat tools you can use here to make the gnocchi ridges if you want. (e.g. Gnocchi Board or Gnocchi Stripper )
5. Once you have cut all your gnocchi you can put them on a tray lined with parchment paper. You can freeze them this way if you want, and then when they are frozen transfer them from the tray into a freezer bag.
6. 6. To cook the gnocchi get a pot of well-salted water boiling and drop the gnocchi into the pot. Cook the gnocchi until they float, about 2 minutes. (If you are cooking from frozen, let them cook 3-4 minutes)
7. Drain the cooked gnocchi. Add 10-12 cooked gnocchi to a bowl and add hot tomato broth to the bowl. Garnish with a fresh piece of basil and some grated parmesan cheese. A slice of garlic toast goes nicely as well, and can soak up the broth at the end!

Recipe Notes

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen