Spiced Carrot and Feta Gnocchi

From the top: minted cream sauce, spiced carrot and feta gnocchi, asparagus orange salad, and mashed roasted eggplant

So... when I was making this recipe, I was pretty sure it was going to fail. The recipe notes that the dough is softer than most gnocchi recipes, but I was not prepared for just how soft it would be. It's very wet and sticky, and I couldn't shape it without dipping it in flour first. Then, I couldn't remove the excess flour from the gnocchi before cooking them, so many of the cooked pieces had an ugly translucent coating over them. (Thankfully, the sauce covered that up.)

But I am very glad to say that this seemed to be everyone's favorite part of the meal. The gnocchi turned out light, fluffly, and gently spiced, and the delicate cream sauce provided a nice complement of flavors.

For those of you trying this at home, I highly recommend chilling the gnocchi in the fridge for at least a couple of hours prior to cooking them to help them hold their shape. Maybe you could even freeze them. Otherwise, you will end up flinging sticky doughballs from your fingers into boiling water, making a mess and probably scalding your hands in the process.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds carrots
• 1-1/3 cups crumbled feta cheese
• 10 oz. / 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon garam masala, plus more to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Minted cream sauce:

• 1 oz. butter
• 2 scallions, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons shredded mint
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Directions:

1. Cut the carrots into large pieces and steam, boil, or microwave until tender. Drain amd allow to cool slightly
2. Put the carrots in a food processor, add the feta and blend until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and sift the flour and spices over the top. Add the egg and mix to form a soft dough. Taste after this and adjust seasoning as needed. Lightly coat your fingertips with flour and shape teaspoons of the mixture into flat circles. Place on top of a floured surface and set aside in refrigerator (or freezer) to set. (Note: here is where I had problems forming the gnocchi. You may need to roll the teaspoons of dough in flour in order to shape them.)
3. To make the minted cream sauce, melt the butter in a frying pan and saute the onion and garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper over medium heat for about 3 minutes, or until the garlic is soft and golden. Stir in the cream, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes, or until thickened slightly. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
4. Meanwhile, cook the gnocchi, in batches, in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 2 minutes, or until they float to the surface. Transfer to warmed serving plates using a slotted spoon. Stir the mint through the sauce, drizzle over the gnocchi, and serve.

Serves 6-8.