📋 Italian Homemade Vegan Chestnut Gnocchi With Butter

Chestnut Gnocchi is an authentic Italian gnocchi recipe that brings the essence of the Italian Alps right to your dinner table. Made with just three simple ingredients and without the use of eggs, these pillowy dumplings are a world apart from the heavier, store-bought gnocchi you may be accustomed to. Light, fluffy, and bursting with the nutty flavor of fresh chestnuts and potatoes, they're the perfect dish to elevate any dinner party to something truly special.

Course Pasta

Cuisine Italian

Diet Vegan

Keyword gnocchi no egg, Italian gnocchi, vegan gnocchi

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Resting time 30

Total Time 1 20

Servings servings

Calories 306kcal

Author Laura Tobin

Equipment

Ingredients

Chestnuts gnocchi

4 medium potatoes about 1 lb - 500 gr
1 lb fresh chestnuts
1 cup semolina flour
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ tablespoon salt

Sauce to serve

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil or butter for non vegan option
6 sprig sage

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preparing the chestnuts

Remove the hard chestnut shells
1 lb fresh chestnuts
Place them in a pan and cover them with water
Boil them until the skin comes off easily, about 20 to 30 minutes
Drain them and remove the skin while they are still warm
Remove any bad chestnuts

Boil the potatoes

In a large pan boil for 20 to 25 minutes the regular potatoes
4 medium potatoes
Pierce one of the potatoes with a knife to check if they are done. The knife should pierce the potato smoothly all the way into the center.
Drain them

Mashing the potatoes

If you have a KitchenAid vegetable strainer, strain the potatoes while they are still warm. The skin is automatically separated.
If you don't have it, peel the potatoes while still warm and strain them with a hand strainer.

Preparing the chestnut gnocchi dough

Strain the chestnuts with the other half of the regular potatoes while they are still warm
Wait until the mash has cooled down
Once it is cold, mix it with 1 cup - 170 g of semolina flour, ½ cup - 60 g of regular All-purpose flour, and ½ tablespoon of salt
1 cup semolina flour, ½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ tablespoon salt
Place it on a well-floured surface and cover with flour

Shaping the gnocchi

To shape the gnocchi, take a piece of dough, the size that fits in your fist.
Roll it into long strips
Cut the logs into small pieces, the size of a grape
Roll each piece of dough over the back of a fork to indent them
Place the gnocchi in a plate or cutting board dusting them with flour

Cooking the gnocchi

In a large pasta pan, bring to boil salted water
Pour in the gnocchi in the boiling water, a batch of 10 or 20 at a time, depending on how big is the pan
When the gnocchi float they are ready
Remove them with a colander strainer spoon
Place them in a pan with the sauce and keep them warm until all the gnocchi are cooked
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, 6 sprig sage
Place them on a serving dish and serve

Video

Notes

Making gnocchi, especially with unique ingredients like chestnuts, can be a bit tricky. Here are some common mistakes and tips on how to avoid them:

Dough Too Sticky or Too Dry: Your dough is either too sticky to handle or too dry and crumbly. Solution: The key is to use the right amount of flour. Too much flour will make the gnocchi heavy, while too little will make the dough unmanageable. Always start with the minimum flour amount and gradually add as needed.
Gnocchi Falling Apart in Water: Your gnocchi disintegrates when you boil them. Solution: This often happens if the dough is too wet. Do not peel your potatoes before boiling them, they will absorb too much water. Drain your boiled potatoes and chestnuts well, and let the mashed potato mixture cool down before adding flour.
Uneven Cooking: Some gnocchi are undercooked while others are overcooked. Solution: Make sure to cut your gnocchi into even-sized pieces. Use a sharp knife or a bench scraper for precise cuts. Also, don't overcrowd the pot; cook the gnocchi in batches.
Lack of Flavor: Your gnocchi taste bland. Solution: Don't forget to season your boiling water with a generous amount of salt. Also, consider adding a bit of salt to the dough mixture itself.
Soggy Gnocchi: Your gnocchi turn out soggy and unappetizing. Solution: After boiling, remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon and transfer them directly to the saucepan with your chosen sauce. Avoid rinsing them in cold water, as this can make them soggy.
Difficulty Shaping the Gnocchi: You're having trouble shaping the gnocchi. Solution: If you're a first-timer, don't stress about the shape too much; it will become second nature with practice.

Nutrition