This gnocchi with Castelmagno cheese is a incredible 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 considered one 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 should utilize different forms of cheese as a substitute.
Gnocchi al Castelmagno.
On a latest journey to the gorgeous Langhe space in Piemonte (Piedmont), I used to be not solely in a position to style this iconic gnocchi al Castelmagno the place it originates, but additionally purchase a few of this historical cheese, sometimes called the king of alpine cheeses!
We went to the Langhe to go to The Alba White Truffle Truthful. After all, the primary attraction of this honest is truffles, notably white ones. Alba is without doubt one of the most well-known cities within the space and the honest 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’ll 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, it’s best to undoubtedly order this wonderful gnocchi when 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 regionally 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 isn’t 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 very historical cheese. The primary doc during which it’s explicitly talked about is an arbitration ruling from 1277, which said that the municipality of Castelmagno needed to pay an annual payment in return for grazing rights to the Marquis of Saluzzo, in wheels of Castelmagno cheese as a substitute of cash!
The one milk they use to make this cheese comes from Piemontese cattle, consumed recent forage or hay from blended meadows or pastures. In reality, Castelmagno has a singular flavour that derives from a selected sort 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 kind 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, in my view, value treating your self to if yow will discover it.
Components on this gnocchi with Castelmagno cheese.
The cheese.
Clearly, this recipe ought to be made with Castelmagno. However, it’s simply tailored for different good melting cheeses. You need to use 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 possibly can both make the gnocchi your self or purchase ready-made. The dimensions 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 elements.
Other than the cheese and gnocchi, this recipe has simply two different important elements, recent cream and unsalted butter. Should you want to make use of salted butter, it’s finest to scale back the salt within the gnocchi water or take a look at style earlier than including salt to the completed sauce. Castelmagno can also 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 well-liked in Piemonte too. Alba can also 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 a substitute. You may also serve your gnocchi with some grated Parmigiano.
Make your personal toasted hazelnut granules.
I used prepared toasted hazelnuts granules. However, you may make your personal 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 will have to make use of brief pulses to stop 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 little bit flour or cornstarch as a substitute 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 reduce 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 large enough 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. Cook dinner the gnocchi within the boiling salted water. Take away with a slotted spoon, as soon as they rise to the floor. Recent gnocchi don’t want a lot cooking.
6. Add the gnocchi to the Castelmagno sauce whereas the latter remains to be sizzling, and blend every part 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 will have to make use of a cheese made with a vegetarian rennet. Some examples of blue cheese that you should utilize are most Stilton and dolcelatte.
Some cheese makers in UK and USA make their very own vegetarian blue cheese, even gorgonzola. But it surely’s finest to examine the label. Italian Parmigiano Reggiano can also be not vegetarian.
What to do with leftovers.
I’d not suggest freezing leftovers of this dish. Cooked cheese does not freeze effectively and the gnocchi might grow to be mushy.
Nevertheless, you possibly can hold leftovers within the fridge for as much as 3 days in a sealed container. If you wish to eat the leftovers, switch them to a pan, add a little bit milk, gently combine it into the gnocchi and cheese sauce. The sauce may have solidified however it’s going to soften once more. Cook 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 accessible at some cheese retailers or connoisseur meals retailers. It is also out there on-line from producers and even Eataly Italia. Outdoors of Italy, it can be present in some Italian specialty meals retailers. 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 palms on some actual Castelmagno DOP or make this recipe with an alternate cheese, I am certain you’ll love how straightforward and flavorful this dish is!
Let me know what you suppose.
Should you make this gnocchi with Castelmagno cheese recipe, I’d love to listen to the way it seems and when you favored it. So, please go away a remark right here on the weblog or on The Pasta Undertaking 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 incredible 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 important elements and could be very fast and straightforward to make. You need to use different forms of cheese too.
Components
- 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 elective. 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 reduce into small items.
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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.
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Within the meantime, soften the butter in a heavy saucepan that’s large enough 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.
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Cook dinner the gnocchi within the boiling salted water. Take away with a slotted spoon, as soon as they rise to the floor. Recent gnocchi don’t want a lot cooking.
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Add the gnocchi to the Castelmagno cheese sauce whereas the latter remains to be sizzling, and blend every part 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.
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Notes
Each Castelmagno and Italian Parmigiano Reggiano are made with animal rennet so this recipe is not vegetarian. Use vegtarian cheese as a substitute.
For leftover options see important content material.
Like different genuine Italian cheeses, actual Castelmagno carries a DOP certification label. This label ensures that the cheese is produced, processed and packaged in a particular geographical space in accordance with custom. Every step, from manufacturing to packaging, is regulated by the EU.
Diet
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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