Though I’ve eaten traditional gnocchi many times, I’ve only made it once. My sister and I were invited to make it with a family friend and her daughter. Over the course of a morning, we made enough for about fifteen meals, which we divided amongst our households. I remember it was a very tactile process, with flour covering a wide countertop and our hands pulling at the dough, rolling and shaping it and then pressing each gnocco with the back of a fork. A tomato sauce simmered on the stove while we worked, ready for the gnocchi we set aside to cook for our lunch. It was, of course, worth all the effort.
Considerably less effort was needed to make this week’s recipe, Gnocchi à la Parisienne. Since it’s made of pâte à choux instead of potato-based dough, a stand mixer takes most of the work out of making this dish. Shaping the gnocchi also took very little time, as they’re dropped by the teaspoonful. I chose to freeze most of mine and let the balance of the dough rest while I made the béchamel sauce.
I halved the béchamel, which came together quickly, though it was thicker than other recipes I’ve made. It was easy enough to spread in the baking dish and over the cooked gnocchi and I think its thickness was an asset once it was baked. I used a mixture of Gruyère and Parmesan on top.
My first bites were dominated by the flavour of the cheeses. But as I ate my way through the dish, the nutmeg started to assert itself, along with the very tender texture of the gnocchi and the creaminess of the béchamel. The cheeses began to complement the other flavours and textures, rather than overwhelm them. I enjoyed it, though I’m not sure it was enough for me to want to make this again. It is making me want to try making potato gnocchi again, just for comparison. Maybe I’ll organize another work party.
You can find many other blogged descriptions of this week’s FFWD recipe here: Gnocchi à la Parisienne
One Wet Foot 
Love the work party idea! My “party” is usually in another room (hiding).
I love the idea of the work party as well! I think next time I’ll fold in that last egg white. I’d like to see what the difference is.
Thanks, Cher and Ann – getting together a work party for big batch cooking is a lot of fun (and practical, too). That said, my partner (with our dog) sometimes hides out if I’m doing something complicated or frustrating in the kitchen!
@Ann – the dough became noticeably lighter when I added the egg white. Haven’t tried it without, but my gnocchi were extremely tender.
Hi, thanks for visiting my blog. I liked the dish too although I find making gnocchi time consuming. My 4-yr-old asked for it again! He didn’t know what it was that he ate but he knew it was yummy so it took a while for me realise he wanted gnocchi a la parisienne!
@Ker-Yng – it’s so wonderful when your meals are kid-approved!
I love your process photos. I wish I had used gruyere instead of the extra sharp cheddar cheese, but I used what I had in the refrigerator. I also like the idea of a party – it just seems like everything tastes better when it is a group effort and the final dish or dishes are shared by all.
Thanks, Elaine. I really enjoyed the taste of Gruyère with this, but can imagine that the sharpness of cheddar would be good, too.
Cooking with others is my favourite thing (as long as the kitchen is big enough, that is). It’s a great way to learn new techniques and to pass the time when the tasks are repetitive. There’s a little bit of that in this group, which I really appreciate.
Oh, the gnocchi look so good! Amazing photographs, as usual.
Thanks, Leslie!