Parisian gnocchi, in french called gnocchi a la Parisienne, are very different from the Italian potato gnocchi. Fluffy and light, these pillowy cheesy doughs are made with savory choux pastry mixed with gruyere cheese, no potatoes. Like the Italian gnocchi, they are boiled in water, then baked in the oven and topped with more butter, sage and cheese. A scrumptious dish for a fancy dinner.
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These gnocchi are the French response to the Italian potato gnocchi, and I must say the competition is fierce.
They are as delicious and light with a crunchy top.
The recipe could be challenging if you are not confident making choux pastry. Although, if you follow my step-by-step photo and watch the video on the recipe card, you can make them without any problem.
They are easy to make for a dinner party as you can prepare them earlier in the day and bake them just before dinner is served.
There are many more gnocchi recipes with or without potatoes, and if you want to find out more, you can read: classic Italian gnocchi, light, and fluffy gnocchi, vegan gnocchi recipes, gnocchi alla Romana, and Malfatti.
For a complete view of all the gnocchi recipes, check the web story: 9 Gnocchi recipes made from scratch
Ingredients
These are the ingredients you need to make the choux pastry for the dough.
- Freshwater or milk: you can either use only fresh water or half water and half milk
- Butter
- Flour
- Eggs: the number of eggs to add to the choux dough is not based on an exact number of eggs. The eggs are beaten and then added gradually until the dough reaches the right consistency. You may have some egg mixture left over.
- Grated gruyere cheese
- Nutmeg
- Salt
For the seasoning:
Here I keep them simple and only use the following seasoning. You can choose a different sauce if you like.
- Butter
- Grated gruyere cheese
- Sage
See recipe card for quantities.
Step by step instructions with images
To make these Parisian gnocchi, you need first to make the choux pastry, then cook them in a gnocchi shape in boiling water.
Making the Choux pastry
- Before you start, beat all the eggs into a bowl
- Pour the milk diluted with water into a pan and season with salt and some nutmeg
Hint: you can use only water to keep them light or half water and half milk for richer gnocchi.
- Add the butter and bring to boil
- As soon as it starts to boil, remove it from the heat and add the flour at once
- Once you add the flour, stir immediately with a whisk to avoid forming grains
- The dough will quickly become thick
- Keep stirring with a whisk until the dough becomes smooth
- Once the dough becomes smooth without any grains, place the dough back on the heat and stir it with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes
Hint: the dough will dry out, forming a ball that detaches from the pan
- Transfer the dough to a bowl and let the dough cool down to room temperature
- Start combining the eggs gradually
Hint: the dough will look funny at first; keep stirring until the egg is combined
- Make sure the previous egg mixture is combined before adding more beaten eggs
- Always add a small amount each time
Hint: the choux dough has to reach the right consistency based on the weight of the eggs, not the number of eggs. If you add too much egg mixture, the consistency will be too runny, and the dough will not keep its shape when cooked. You may have some eggs left over, do not add them.
How to check when the choux dough is ready
- Create a line with your finger, and the dough will slowly close back on itself. Stop adding the eggs!
- Now you can add the grated gruyere cheese to the dough and mix well
Preparing the piping bag
It is very important to properly prepare the piping bag and hold it with one hand. You will need one hand to cut the gnocchi while piping them with the other.
Place the dough into a piping bag with a large nozzle to make the gnocchi. If you do not have a large nozzle, use the piping bag without a nozzle.
The gnocchi should be about 1.5 in - 4 cm long and 0.8 in - 2 cm wide.
- Place the piping bag inside a bowl to keep it straight, rolling the bag top to keep it open
- Fill the dough into the pastry bag
- Once all the dough is inside, lift the edges of the bag
- Lay the bag flat on the table, and push the dough toward the nozzle with a spatula. No dough gets wasted
- Twist the end of the bag
- Fold it on itself
- You can now hold the piping bag with one hand and use the other hand to cut the gnocchi.
Boiling the gnocchi
- Place a ceramic baking tray next to the pot of boiling salted water.
- Pipe the choux dough over the boiling water cutting the dough with a knife to form the gnocchi about 1.5 in - 4 cm in length
Hint: choose a nice baking pan as you will serve the gnocchi in this baking pan
- Just like potato gnocchi, they will float once they are ready
- Remove the gnocchi from the boiling water with a colander spoon
- Place them on the ceramic baking tray
- You can also use single-portion ramekins
Hint: only place one layer of gnocchi in the baking pan; they will rise slightly when baked
Baking the gnocchi
- Melt some butter
- Pour the melted butter over the gnocchi
Hint: you can also make clarified butter by removing the white foam that forms from milk residuals separating from the fat
- Top the gnocchi with some more cheese
- Add some sage leaves
- Bake in a hot oven for 20 minutes at 355 F - 180 C
- Serve warm
Substitutions
I wouldn't recommend changing any of the main ingredients used for the choux pastry, as they require these very specific ingredients, quantities and techniques.
The only substitution you can make is on the liquid: water, milk, or half and half.
Only water will give a lighter texture, which is fine since it is a rich dish with plenty of eggs, butter, and cheese. Substitute some of the water with milk if you want something even richer.
You can substitute the Gruyere cheese with Parmesan if you want a milder flavor; for a sharper taste, use Pecorino.
Variations
The way I served this gnocchi is a seasoning that goes well with all types of gnocchi, but you can serve them with other different types of sauces.
Another way to serve these Parisian gnocchi are with a Mornay sauce which is a bechamel sauce mixed with Gruyere cheese. This is a much richer version.
I wouldn't serve them with an overpowering sauce, as their flavor is delicate and buttery.
You can serve them as a side dish to a meat main course like chicken with marsala, stuffed pork tenderloin with chestnuts, or crown roast of lamb.
Parisian gnocchi are also perfect as side dishes for roasted ham or turkey.
Equipment
As this recipe is quite complex, ensure you have all the right equipment before you start.
- A saucepan to make the choux pastry and to boil the gnocchi
- A whisk and wooden spoon to stir the pastry
- Piping bag with a large nozzle (you can also use the piping bag without a nozzle)
- Colander strainer spoon to remove the gnocchi from the boiling water
- Ceramic or pyrex baking dishes to bake the gnocchi and serve them on the table
- You can also bake the gnocchi in single-portion ceramic ramekins
Storage
You can prepare the gnocchi ahead of time and bake them in the oven before serving them.
They will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
I wouldn't recommend freezing them as they may lose their texture.
Top tip
- You can use only water to keep them light or half water and half milk for richer gnocchi.
- The choux dough has to reach the right consistency based on the weight of the eggs, not the number of eggs. If you add too much egg mixture, the consistency will be too runny, and the dough will not keep its shape when cooked. You may have some eggs left over, do not add them.
- It is very important to properly prepare the piping bag and hold it with one hand. You will need one hand to cut the gnocchi while piping them with the other.
- Place the dough into a piping bag with a large nozzle to make the gnocchi. If you do not have a large nozzle, use the piping bag without a nozzle.
- You can serve the gnocchi in a large ceramic baking tray or single portions of ramekins
- Only place one layer of gnocchi in the baking pan; they will rise slightly when baked
- You can also season them with clarified butter. When melting the butter, remove the white foam of milk residuals separating from the fat.
FAQ
While Italian gnocchi are made with potatoes and flour, Parisian gnocchi are made with choux pastry. Both gnocchi are boiled in water
There are five main types of gnocchi: potato gnocchi (which can be mixed with different vegetables like squash, spinach, or sweet potatoes), Parisian gnocchi (made with choux pastry), malfatti or gnudi (made with ricotta and spinach), gnocchi alla Romana (made with semolina, NOT semolina flour), Canederli gnocchi from Tirolo made with bread.
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📋Gnocchi Parisienne (Parisian Gnocchi)
Verified Culinary AuthorityVideo
Equipment
Ingredients
For the gnocchi dough
- ½ cup butter
- 1 ⅔ cup fresh water
- 1 ⅔ cup Flour
- 5 eggs
- 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- ½ cup grated gruyere cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the seasoning
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 sprig sage
- ¼ cup gruyere cheese
- 1 tablespoon salt to boil the gnocchi
Instructions
Making the Choux pastry
- Before you start, beat all the eggs into a bowl5 eggs
- Pour the milk diluted with water into a pan and season with salt and some nutmeg1 ⅔ cup fresh water, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- Add the butter and bring to boil½ cup butter
- As soon as it starts to boil, remove it from the heat and add the flour at once1 ⅔ cup Flour
- Once you add the flour, stir immediately with a whisk to avoid forming grains
- The dough will quickly become thick
- Keep stirring with a whisk until the dough becomes smooth
- Once the dough becomes smooth without any grains, place the dough back on the heat and stir it with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes
- The dough will dry out, forming a ball that detaches from the pan
- Transfer the dough to a bowl and let the dough cool down to room temperature
- Start combining the eggs gradually
- The dough will look funny at first; keep stirring until the egg is combined
- Make sure the previous egg mixture is combined before adding more beaten eggs
- Always add a small amount each time
How to check when the choux dough is ready
- Create a line with your finger, and the dough will slowly close back on itself
- You can now stop adding the eggs
- Add the grated gruyere cheese to the dough and mix well½ cup grated gruyere cheese
Preparing the piping bag
- Place the piping bag inside a bowl to keep it straight, rolling the bag top to keep it open
- Fill the dough into the pastry bag
- Once all the dough is inside, lift the edges of the bag
- Lay the bag flat on the table, and push the dough toward the nozzle with a spatula. No dough gets wasted
- Twist the end of the bag
- Fold it on itself
- You can now hold the piping bag with one hand and use the other hand to cut the gnocchi.
Boiling the gnocchi
- Place a ceramic baking tray next to the pot of boiling salted water.
- Pipe the choux dough over the boiling water cutting the dough with a knife to form the gnocchi about 1.5 in - 4 cm in length1 tablespoon salt
- Just like potato gnocchi, they will float once they are ready
- Remove the gnocchi from the boiling water with a colander spoon
- Place them on the ceramic baking tray
- You can also use single-portion ramekins
Baking the gnocchi
- Melt some butter½ cup butter, ¼ cup butter
- Pour the melted butter over the gnocchi
- Top the gnocchi with some more cheese¼ cup gruyere cheese
- Add some sage leaves1 sprig sage
- Bake in a hot oven for 20 minutes at 355 F - 180 C
- Serve warm
Notes
- You can use only water to keep them light or half water and half milk for richer gnocchi.
- The choux dough has to reach the right consistency based on the weight of the eggs, not the number of eggs. If you add too much egg mixture, the consistency will be too runny, and the dough will not keep its shape when cooked. You may have some eggs left over, do not add them.
- It is very important to properly prepare the piping bag and hold it with one hand. You will need one hand to cut the gnocchi while piping them with the other.
- Place the dough into a piping bag with a large nozzle to make the gnocchi. If you do not have a large nozzle, use the piping bag without a nozzle.
- You can serve the gnocchi in a large ceramic baking tray or single portions of ramekins
- Only place one layer of gnocchi in the baking pan; they will rise slightly when baked
- You can also season them with clarified butter. When melting the butter, remove the white foam of milk residuals separating from the fat.
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