It’s time for another Recipe Redux post, and this month, we’re cooking with tea, so I’m bringing you this recipe for green tea gnocchi with orange butter sauce!
There are a lot tea varieties that I could have chosen to cook with, but I had some leftover matcha from when I made Matcha White Chocolate Cookies a couple of months ago, so I decided to use it up with today’s recipe. When I was browsing Pinterest for ideas, I came across this recipe on Princess Tofu and the photos made me swoon and crave it in a major way. Her version has more of an autumn flair, so I decided to swap out a couple of ingredients to lighten it up for summer.
There are a few different versions of gnocchi floating around, but I felt like traditional potato gnocchi would be best to match with the flavor of the green tea. The key to light, pillow-y gnocchi is dependent on your being gentle with the dough. If you work it and manhandle it too much, you’ll be left with heavy, dense green tea gnocchi. Trust me, you don’t want that. Light and pillow-y for the win!
I left egg out of my recipe, simply because I didn’t think the flavor would pair well with the matcha, but it’s certainly something you can add when you make this green tea gnocchi. As a matter of fact, I think it might help to keep the gnocchi from falling apart when you’re rolling it out. Mine was sort of crumbly and I’m sure that the missing egg was a key reason for it.
The other incredibly awesome part of this dish is the orange butter sauce. Oh my yumminess! It’s a smooth, velvety sauce with a nice tangy undertone. I sauteed some grape tomatoes in it, which was probably the smartest decision I’ve made this year. Think sweet and tangy. It reminds me a lot of the sweet and tangy flavor of my kumquat poppyseed dressing. Freaking delicious, kids. Serve it up with some warm, crusty French bread and call me over for dinner. I could eat this every night and be a happy camper. I think it would be a fun meatless dish for St. Patrick’s Day, too. After all, it is green!
Oh, and while we’re on the subject of St. Patrick’s Day, you should also check out my recipe for these delicious spinach Parmesan sables.
I hope you enjoy this green tea gnocchi recipe!
Green Tea Gnocchi with Orange Butter Sauce
Ingredients
- Gnocchi
- 1 pound yellow potatoes (I used Yukon Gold) baked, then peeled and riced (or milled)
- 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
- 1 egg beaten (optional*)
- 1 Tablespoon green tea powder (matcha) plus more for dusting
- 1 small pinch Kosher salt
- Orange Butter Sauce
- 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 1/2 medium sized orange juiced (about 2 tablespoons juice)
Instructions
- Gnocchi
- Place riced potatoes on a large work surface that’s been lightly dusted with flour. If using the optional egg, create a well in the center of the potatoes and place the beaten egg into it.
- Using your hand, stir the egg into the potatoes very delicately. The key to eggless gnocchi is in the delicate handling.
- Sift flour/matcha over gnocchi while fluffing the potatoes with a fork. Work the mixture delicately until it’s well-formed. You can switch to floured hands once the flour and potatoes are well-combined. Use the additional 1/2 cup of flour and matcha for dusting, if necessary. Try not to add too much flour or the gnocchi will become heavy and dry. Perfect uncooked gnocchi will be slightly tacky, but not wet.
- Divide dough into 4 equal sized pieces and roll each into a long, thin, cigar-like shape. Cut off 1/4 inch thick pieces with a sharp knife.
- If you don't plan to cook and eat them immediately, freeze the matcha. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a dusting of flour and place gnocchi on pan in a single layer. Freeze until solid. After they've frozen completely, transfer them to a freezer bag.
- To cook gnocchi, place into a pot of salted, boiling water and cook until the gnocchi rise to the surface of the water. If you're cooking them from frozen, add to the water in small amounts to avoid a drastic drop in water temperature.
Nutrition
Get more tea inspiration from the rest of the Recipe Redux members!
MORE Green Healthy Recipes from fellow bloggers:
Orange, Apple, & Green Fruit Smoothie ~ from We’re Parents
Green Goddess Dressing ~ from The Lemon Bowl
Beginner Green Tea Smoothie ~ from Jeanette’s Healthy Living
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Jocelyn@Brucrewlife says
Mmm, such great flavors you have going on in this dish!! I especially love the orange butter sauce! 🙂
Chef Becca says
Thanks so much, Jocelyn! That orange butter sauce might be making another appearance here soon 🙂
genevieve @ gratitude & greens says
Wow, I’ve never thought of using matcha in gnocchi- sounds really interesting, I’m excited to try it!
Chef Becca says
I’d love to know what you think of it, Genevieve! If you like the taste of matcha, I’m hopeful that you’ll love this gnocchi 🙂
Liz says
I love potato gnocchi…and your green tea version is absolutely gorgeous!!!
Chef Becca says
Thanks so much, Lizzy!
Danielle Omar - Food Confidence RD says
Orange butter!? Amazing. These are so creative and fun. I’m loving all the matcha recipes this month — lots for me to experiment with!
Chef Becca says
Thanks, Danielle! Yeah, I more or less wanted to put that orange butter into a glass with a straw 😉
David @ Spiced says
Chef Bec, you’ve got all sorts of deliciousness floating around in this recipe. I would never have thought about making gnocchi with green tea…and gnocchi is one of my—scratch that—is my all time favorite Italian dish! I need to try this soon!
Chef Becca says
You’re so kind, Dave! If you love matcha and you love gnocchi, you’ll be in a bit of Heaven over this dish!
ATasteOfMadness says
I am so intrigued by this recipe! I’d be so up for this!
Chef Becca says
It’s definitely not conventional or traditional gnocchi, but if you enjoy the taste of green tea, it’s pretty darned tasty!
Karen @BakingInATornado says
I have to admit that after reading what you said about the dough, I’d just add the egg. I’ve not cooked with tea before but I’m very interested in trying.
Chef Becca says
It’s not a traditional potato gnocchi, but it’s definitely a tasty one, Karen!
sandra says
wow – that is an unusual use of tea. I’ve only made gnochi once and it came out okay – I think this might get me interested in making it again.
Cindys Recipes and Writings says
Very different, Becca! I must try it soon!
Laurie @Food is Love says
Fantastic! I love Gnocchi and such a Fresh New Take on it! Great Post!
Chef Becca says
Thanks, Laurie!
EA-The Spicy RD says
Oh, my, yum! And, did you say orange butter???!!! This looks absolutely delicious, and I’d love to try my hands at making a gluten-free version, although gnocchi can be tricky GF. Thanks so much for your sweet comments on my chia pudding 🙂 If you ever decide to give it a try, I’d love to know what you think!
Chef Becca says
Thanks so much! I wonder what would happen if you used ground oat flour as a GF option… it’s got bulk, which many of the other GF flours don’t have. I’m thinking that if you can grind it really finely, it just might work!
Lyuba@willcookforsmiles says
My gosh, Becca, that’s very interesting! I’d love to try it 🙂
Chef Becca says
Thanks, Lyuba! It’s not your traditional gnocchi, but if you like the taste of matcha, you’ll love these!