This gnocchi with Castelmagno cheese is a implausible conventional dish from the Cuneo province of Piemonte (Piedmont) in Northern Italy. It’s additionally an excellent easy recipe, the star of which is, after all, the cheese!
Castelmagno is one in every of Italy’s oldest, rarest and most costly cheeses. It really dates again to the 11th-12th century and the times of the emperor Charlemagne. After all, you need to use different kinds of cheese as an alternative.
Gnocchi al Castelmagno.
On a current journey to the attractive Langhe space in Piemonte (Piedmont), I used to be not solely capable of style this iconic gnocchi al Castelmagno the place it originates, but additionally purchase a few of this historic cheese, also known as the king of alpine cheeses!
We went to the Langhe to go to The Alba White Truffle Honest. After all, the primary attraction of this truthful is truffles, notably white ones. Alba is among the most well-known cities within the space and the truthful attracts 1000’s of tourists yearly.
Nevertheless, other than each black and white truffles, there have been stalls promoting different native produce, together with wines, pasta and cheeses.
You could find gnocchi with Castelmagno cheese in most of the typical eating places in Alba and the encompassing cities and villages. It truly is a signature dish of Cuneo province. In case you are ever on this a part of Italy, you must undoubtedly order this wonderful gnocchi should you discover it on a menu.
What’s Castelmagno cheese?
Castelmagno is made out of uncooked cow’s milk, generally with the addition (15-20%) of goat or sheep’s milk. It’s produced domestically in solely three villages of the higher Grana Valley in Piemonte: Castelmagno, Pradleves and Monterosso. This can be a semi-hard, semi- fats, blue cheese with a dry, granular and crumbly paste.
Italians classify castelmagno as a ‘erborinato’ cheese, which means it has blue veins. However really, that’s not all the time the case! Though the milk is inoculated with the penicillium spores that produce blue veins in different cheeses, the veins might or might not develop in Castelmagno.
Castelmagno is a extremely historic cheese. The primary doc through which it’s explicitly talked about is an arbitration ruling from 1277, which said that the municipality of Castelmagno needed to pay an annual price in return for grazing rights to the Marquis of Saluzzo, in wheels of Castelmagno cheese as an alternative of cash!
The one milk they use to make this cheese comes from Piemontese cattle, ate up recent forage or hay from combined meadows or pastures. The truth is, Castelmagno has a novel flavour that derives from a specific form of grass known as ‘evax’, that’s native to the pastures of Cuneo!
Castelmagno DOP is aged for as much as six months in pure mountain grottos or caves. General, its taste is sort of savory with a mouth-watering, mild saltiness. It has a ‘blue’ cheese style however milder than different blue cheeses.
Solely 6 to 7 thousand wheels are produced every year. Most likely, lower than 200 of these are exported to the USA, making it sadly costly outdoors of Italy. However, for my part, value treating your self to if yow will discover it.
Substances on this gnocchi with Castelmagno cheese.
The cheese.
Clearly, this recipe needs to be made with Castelmagno. However, it’s simply tailored for different good melting cheeses. You should utilize gorgonzola, Stilton, or a agency non-blue cheese like Asiago or Fontina.
The gnocchi.
I used prepared made recent small potato gnocchi which Italians name ‘chicche’. You’ll be able to both make the gnocchi your self or purchase ready-made. The scale isn’t so essential. I went for smaller gnocchi as a result of that’s what the restaurant I had this dish in used.
Different components.
Aside from the cheese and gnocchi, this recipe has simply two different foremost components, recent cream and unsalted butter. When you favor to make use of salted butter, it’s finest to scale back the salt within the gnocchi water or check style earlier than including salt to the completed sauce. Castelmagno can be fairly salty so finest to avoiding including an excessive amount of.
Toppings.
I sprinkled the prepared gnocchi al Castelmagno with toasted hazelnut granules, as is standard in Piemonte too. Alba can be dwelling to Ferrero Rocher, the makers of Nutella, and there are hazelnut orchards in all places!
Nevertheless, some recipes name for walnut granules or simply freshly grated nutmeg as an alternative. You may also serve your gnocchi with some grated Parmigiano.
Make your individual toasted hazelnut granules.
I used prepared toasted hazelnuts granules. However, you can also make your individual by toasting shelled hazelnuts within the oven (in the event that they aren’t already toasted), rubbing off the pores and skin after which grinding them in a granulator or meals processor.
With the latter you have to to make use of brief pulses to forestall the nuts turning into powder. Alternatively, simply pound or smash the toasted nuts wrapped in a tea towel with a meat ponder or heavy pan.
Ingredient variations.
Most recipes for this Piemontese gnocchi dish name for cream. Often, it’s regular recent cream or heavy cream. Nevertheless, there are recipes which use milk plus a bit flour or cornstarch as an alternative of cream or simply milk by itself.
Step-by-step directions.
1. Put together the cheese by slicing or crumbling it into small items. Castelmagno could be very crumbly, so grating doesn’t actually work. In case you are utilizing one other cheese, both grate it or lower into small items.
2. Put a pot of water on to boil for the gnocchi. Add salt as soon as it begins to boil and convey to the boil once more.
3. Within the meantime, soften the butter in a heavy saucepan that’s sufficiently big to carry the cooked gnocchi too. As soon as the butter has melted add the cream after which the Castelmagno cheese.
4. Proceed to stir over a low warmth till the cheese has melted utterly. Then add salt and pepper to style.
5. Prepare dinner the gnocchi within the boiling salted water. Take away with a slotted spoon, as soon as they rise to the floor. Contemporary gnocchi don’t want a lot cooking.
6. Add the gnocchi to the Castelmagno sauce whereas the latter remains to be sizzling, and blend all the things collectively gently to keep away from breaking the gnocchi.
7. Serve instantly with a sprinkling of hazelnut or walnut granules or grated nutmeg.
Is gnocchi with Castelmagno cheese vegetarian?
Like many different conventional Italian cheeses, Castelmagno comprises animal rennet. So, it’s not vegetarian. To make a vegetarian model of this recipe, you have to to make use of a cheese made with a vegetarian rennet. Some examples of blue cheese that you need to use are most Stilton and dolcelatte.
Some cheese makers in UK and USA make their very own vegetarian blue cheese, even gorgonzola. Nevertheless it’s finest to examine the label. Italian Parmigiano Reggiano can be not vegetarian.
What to do with leftovers.
I might not suggest freezing leftovers of this dish. Cooked cheese does not freeze nicely and the gnocchi might turn out to be mushy.
Nevertheless, you may maintain leftovers within the fridge for as much as 3 days in a sealed container. While you need to eat the leftovers, switch them to a pan, add a bit milk, gently combine it into the gnocchi and cheese sauce. The sauce could have solidified however it’s going to soften once more. Prepare dinner slowly over a low warmth till sizzling by way of.
The place can you purchase Castelmagno cheese.
Right here in Italy, Castelmagno DOP is obtainable at some cheese outlets or gourmand meals outlets. It is also out there on-line from producers and even Eataly Italia. Outdoors of Italy, it will also be present in some Italian specialty meals outlets. I discovered it on-line in this store within the UK and in this one within the USA .
The above hyperlinks are usually not affliate hyperlinks. I used to be simply trying to find locations to purchase Castelmagno overseas. Whether or not you get your fingers on some actual Castelmagno DOP or make this recipe with an alternate cheese, I am positive you’ll love how simple and flavorful this dish is!
Let me know what you assume.
When you make this gnocchi with Castelmagno cheese recipe, I’d love to listen to the way it seems and should you preferred it. So, please go away a remark right here on the weblog or on The Pasta Challenge Fb web page.
Wanting ahead to listening to from you!
Buon appetito!
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Gnocchi with Castelmagno cheese recipe from Piemonte Italy.
This gnocchi with Castelmagno cheese is a implausible conventional dish from the Cuneo province of Piemonte (Piedmont) in Northern Italy. It’s additionally an excellent easy recipe,the star of which is, after all, the cheese! It solely has 4 foremost components and could be very fast and straightforward to make. You should utilize different kinds of cheese too.
Substances
- 21 oz potato gnocchi
- 7 floz recent cream
- 1 oz unsalted butter
- 7 oz Castelmagno cheese or different good melting cheese.
- 1 oz toasted hazelnut granules non-compulsory. or walnuts, nutmeg or Parmigiano.
- salt for gnocchi and to style
- freshly floor black pepper. to style.
Directions
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Put together the cheese by slicing or crumbling it into small items. Castelmagno could be very crumbly, so grating doesn’t actually work. In case you are utilizing one other cheese, both grate it or lower into small items.
-
Put a pot of water on to boil for the gnocchi. Add salt as soon as it begins to boil and convey to the boil once more.
-
Within the meantime, soften the butter in a heavy saucepan that’s sufficiently big to carry the cooked gnocchi too. As soon as the butter has melted add the cream after which the Castelmagno cheese. Proceed to stir over a low warmth till the cheese has melted utterly. Then add salt and pepper to style.
-
Prepare dinner the gnocchi within the boiling salted water. Take away with a slotted spoon, as soon as they rise to the floor. Contemporary gnocchi don’t want a lot cooking.
-
Add the gnocchi to the Castelmagno cheese sauce whereas the latter remains to be sizzling, and blend all the things collectively gently to keep away from breaking the gnocchi.
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Serve instantly with a sprinkling of hazelnut or walnut granules or freshly grated nutmeg.
Forestall your display from going darkish
Notes
Each Castelmagno and Italian Parmigiano Reggiano are made with animal rennet so this recipe is not vegetarian. Use vegtarian cheese as an alternative.
For leftover strategies see foremost content material.
Like many different genuine Italian cheeses, actual Castelmagno carries a DOP certification label. This label ensures that the cheese is produced, processed and packaged in a selected geographical space in line with custom. Every step, from manufacturing to packaging, is regulated by the EU.
Vitamin
Energy: 688kcalCarbohydrates: 57gProtein: 19gFats: 44gSaturated Fats: 26gPolyunsaturated Fats: 2gMonounsaturated Fats: 13gTrans Fats: 0.2gLdl cholesterol: 111mgSodium: 1671mgPotassium: 226mgFiber: 4gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 1318IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 336mgIron: 6mg
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