Serves 6
Notes
My mother, Grandma Erminia, was the expert maker of gnocchetti di gris. I would be busy in the kitchen, prepping all the vegetables for the soup and at the stove pulling it together, while she would sit at the kitchen table with a bowl between her knees, mixing the egg, cheese, and farina flour and deftly shaping the mixture into gnocchetti, her hands moving at the speed of light. The process for her was pure muscle memory; she had made them her whole life. It was a pleasure to watch.
I now make the gnocchetti di gris myself. They are easy, and all you need is a good stock or soup to cook them in. I sometimes cook them like pasta, in boiling salted water. When they boil up and are tender, I fish them out with a spider strainer, set them in a bowl, cover them with plastic wrap, and add them to the hot stock to reheat and serve.
Ingredients
- 12 cups low-sodium or homemade chicken broth
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup farina cereal, such as Cream of Wheat (don't use instant), plus more as needed
- Grana Padano, freshly grated, for serving
Directions
Heat 6 cups of the broth in a large saucepan over medium heat so it is simmering lightly.
Combine the egg, butter, and salt in a medium bowl, and beat with a fork to combine well. Add the farina, and mix and mash well to make a smooth, thick dough with no lumps of butter. (If the dough doesn’t hold together, add another sprinkle of farina and mix again.)
Dip a teaspoon in water, and use it to scoop a spoonful of dough. Use another spoon to scoop the dough off into the simmering stock. Repeat with the remaining dough, wetting the spoons as needed to keep the gnocchetti from sticking. Return the stock to a simmer. Cover, and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the gnocchetti have expanded and are cooked through, about 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let it rest for 15 minutes.
Heat the remaining 6 cups broth in another saucepan. Remove the gnocchi to the new broth with a slotted spoon. Skim the first pot of stock to remove any foam or fat, and pour it through a strainer into the second pot. Return all to a simmer.
Serve in bowls, with a sprinkle of grated cheese.
