Gnocchi With Mornay Cheese Sauce

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups 2% low-fat milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated (for topping)
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 cup 2% low-fat milk
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• 3 1/2 ounces gruyere cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup gruyere cheese, grated (for topping)

Recipe

• 1 to make mornay sauce: melt butter in a medium saucepan. add flour and stir for one minute. add in 2 cups milk. cook until thickened.
• 2 whisk in 3/4 cream to thin sauce and add 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese. season with salt and pepper.
• 3 to make gnocchi: in medium saucepan melt 1/3 cup butter in 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk. when butter has melted, season with salt and pepper. remove saucepan from heat and add in 1 cup all purpose flour all at once. whisk until smooth.
• 4 return saucepan to heat and, with a wooden spoon, cook until the mixture sizzles and comes away from the sides of the pan. (this is called a panade). transfer to a large bowl and immediately cover surface with plastic wrap so that a skin does not form. cool to room temperature.
• 5 when mixture has cooled, add the eggs, one at a time. do not add the next egg until the first is entirely absorbed. when the eggs have been fully incorporated add 3 1/2 ounces grated gruyere cheese.
• 6 boiled version: bring water to a boil. fill a pastry bag, fitted with a 3/4 inch tip with gnocchi mixture. rest metal tip of pastry bag on edge of pan and press the dough out. as 1/2 inch of gnocchi dough emerges, cut with a knife or scissors and let the dough fall into the water.
• 7 do in batches of 20 or 30. cook for 4-5 minutes, then remove gnocchi to a cloth towel with a slotted spoon (gnocchi will deflate as they cool). serve sauce over cooked gnocchi.
• 8 baked version: preheat oven to 375 degrees. put some mornay on bottom of a shallow 9x13 casserole dish. fill a pastry bag, fitted with a 3/4 inch tip with gnocchi mixture. as 1/2 inch of gnocchi dough emerges, cut with a knife or scissors. arrange gnocchi in one or, at most, two layers.
• 9 spread remaining sauce over top, spreading it evenly. sprinkle top with 1/4 cup grated gruyere. bake for 45 minutes or until gnocchi have swollen up again and absorbed sauce. serve immediately before gnocchi deflate.