How Gnocchi tastes completely depends on which recipe one is using. Gnocchi tastes starchy because it’s 81% potatoes. It tastes bland, soft, and chewy.
If they are making Gnocchi with tomato sauce, it will taste a bit tangy and acidic.
If one is using a mushroom sauce, it will taste earthy and creamy. You can always use butter, rosemary, sage, and pepper, according to your taste.
Gnocchi with meat will make it a heavy dish and add a savory taste.
If one doesn’t like the taste of meat, one can always opt for vegan Gnocchi. Vegan Gnocchi can be made by replacing the binding ingredient eggs with olive oil. Olive oil will make the Gnocchi taste richer and flavourful. Don’t forget to use some salt and pepper.
How to Make Gnocchi to Keep its Original Taste
To understand “what gnocchi tastes like,” you must make it first. Making Gnocchi from scratch is very easy. All you need is an egg, flour, and potatoes.
- Gnocchi is supposed to taste starchy, so first, boil some potatoes; after they have boiled, cool them and peel their skin off. Then use a masher to mash the potatoes. You don’t have to make a smooth paste of mashed potatoes; mash them lightly.
- Take a bowl, mix flour, egg, and mashed potato with your hands, Then knead the dough gently for 3-5 minutes. You don’t need to go overboard and knead it until it comes together.
- Cut the dough into four parts, then cut smaller sections of the parts and roll them like a sausage. Cut little pieces from it and gently roll it on a rolling pin to give it ridges on top, making it look like Gnocchi.
- Boil the Gnocchi for 2-4 minutes. It will float when it is cooked.
Now, if you taste the boiled Gnocchi, it should taste doughy, bland, soft, and floury. To enhance its taste, we will have to cook it.
You can use tomato sauce, mushroom sauce, or meat sauce, or if you want to keep its taste simple, you can make a salt, pepper, and butter sauce to serve your Gnocchi.
Cautions to Follow to Maintain Gnocchi’s Authentic Taste
Your Gnocchi might taste mushy and very soft, then it could be that you have overcooked your Gnocchi. Overcooking or cooking Gnocchi for more than 5 minutes will break the starches into sugar and turn them brown and mushy.
Gnocchi might taste sour and floury if it is not preserved properly.
If you don’t want your Gnocchi to taste sour or floury-
- Dust your Gnocchi slightly with some flour
- Throw a tea towel on them to cover them up and set them aside at room temperature for 2 hours
- Then place them in the freezer for 4 hours.
Sometimes, most people complain when they buy pre-made Gnocchi from the grocery store that it tastes sour. Your Gnocchi is not supposed to taste sour. If it does, throw it away.
Remember to cover your Gnocchi if you do not intend to cook it immediately. Gnocchi often turns dark or gray because potatoes oxidize in the open air.
Conclusion
So, we can say that Gnocchi is a dish that goes with everything. It does not have a particular taste, but it can be added with many ingredients to enhance its taste.
A Gnocchi’s taste entirely depends on the recipe used to cook it.