Gnocchi al Vaticano

 

It’s time for Eat the World and I am so excited for this month's choice: Vatican City!  I was so thrilled with this choice because The Vatican is so important to me as a Catholic, since it is where the Pope resides.  It is extra exciting this year since Pope Leo XIV was recently elected.

I was in the Vatican in 2001, just after my senior year of high school on a pilgrimage and saw Pope John Paul II and so many other sites that are meaningful to my Catholic faith.  In fact, Dude just went on the same pilgrimage last month!  It is such a special trip for young people to really connect with their faith.

As a small city-state and the smallest country, it can be hard to differentiate Vatican food from Italian, since the Vatican is completely surrounded by Rome. 

Luckily for me, the Vatican Cookbook exists!

The Vatican Cookbook: Presented by the Pontifical Swiss Guard by The Pontifical Swiss Guard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This fabulous cookbook gives great information about The Vatican, the Swiss guard, and several Popes' favorites! Great recipes and a fun read!

View all my reviews

This cookbook was created by Swiss Guard chefs who cook specifically for the Pope, Swiss Guard, and Vatican staff.  After reading a fascinating food-centric history of the Swiss Guard, I knew I wanted to make the gnocchi.  

I’ve made gnocchi a few times before, but these might be my favorite.  The gnocchi themselves were the perfect level of al dente and the sauce, while simple and light, was incredibly flavorful and a real treat!

Eat the World

Vatican City

• Sneha of Sneha's Recipe served up The Pope's Fettuccine (Fettuccine alla Papalina)
• Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm enjoyed Giradole
• Amy of Amy's Cooking Adventures made Gnocchi al Vaticano

Gnocchi al Vaticano

The Vatican Cookbook

Gnocchi

1 ¼ pounds potatoes

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

1 ½ cup all purpose flour

3 ounces grated parmesan cheese

5 ½ tablespoon butter, softened

1 teaspoon salt

Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 ounces pancetta, thinly sliced

1 small onion, diced

4 ounces mushrooms, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved & seeds removed

3 tablespoons white wine

2 tablespoons butter

⅓ cup basil pesto

Boil or bake the potatoes, peel, and cool.

Once cooled, push the potatoes through a ricer.  Add the eggs, yolks, flour, parmesan, butter, and salt and knead into a soft dough.

Turn out onto a well floured work surface.  Divide into smaller pieces and roll into ¾-inch logs, then cut into 1-inch pieces. If desired, roll over a gnocchi board and place on a well floured surface.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi and cook until they float to the top, about 3-4 minutes.  Drain gnocchi, run cold water over the gnocchi to stop cooking and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.  Add the pancetta, onion, and mushrooms and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the garlic, tomatoes, and wine and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Heat the butter in a separate skillet.  Add the gnocchi and cook for 5 minutes to reheat.  Add the mushroom sauce and pesto and stir to mix.  Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6

Amy Eats the World in...

1. Cuba: Ropa Vieja (Slow Cooker Beef)
2. Ireland: Cheesy Potato Soup with Irish Ale
   
3. Thailand: Chicken Satay
   
4. Kenya: Crunchy N’Dizi (Peanut Crusted Bananas)
   
5. Sweden: Rodbetssallad med Getost (Grated Beet Salad with Goat Cheese)
6. New Zealand: Kiwi Burger 
7. France: Fougasse (Provencal Flatbread)
8. Argentina: Chimichurri Sauce
   
9. Mexico (Halloween Special): Pan de Muerto (Day of the Dead Bread)
10. India: Spiced Golden Milk 
11. Poland: Chrusciki (Angel Wing Cookies)
12. Ethiopia: Buticha (Hummus)
13. England: Wizarding World of Harry Potter Leaky Cauldron-Style Mini Cottage Pie 
    
14. Georgia: Lobiani (Bean-Stuffed Bread)
15. Mexico: Crispy Pork Carnitas
    
16. Cambodia: Loc Lac (Shredded Beef with Lime)
17. Israel: Chicken Albondigas (Chicken Meatballs)
18. Finland: Sima (Lemonade) 
19. Puerto Rico: Arroz con Tocino  (Rice with Bacon)
20. Egypt: Ghorayebah Cookies
    
21. Ukraine: Scuffles (Rohalyky) Cinnamon Crescent Rolls
    
22. Portugal: Bitoque (Steak & Eggs) 
23. Germany (Christmas Special): Lebkuchenherzen (German "Gingerbread" Cookies) 
24. Trinidad & Tobago: Trini Macaroni Pie 
25. Iraq: T'bit (Slow Cooked Chicken & Brown Rice) 
26. Fiji: Fijian Creamy Lentil Soup (Dhal) 
27. Senegal: Cafe Touba (Senegalese Spiced Coffee) 
28. Colombia: Cañón de Cerdo (Colombia-Style Pork Loin Roast) 
29. Soul Food (United States): Oven-Baked Ribs with Cola BBQ Sauce 
30. Bangladesh: Shemai (Sweet Vermicelli Pudding) 
31. The Netherlands: Dutch Farmer’s Cheese Soup (Boerenkaas Soep) 
32. Laos: Khao Piak Sen (Lao Chicken Noodle Soup) 
33. Jamaica: Chicken &  Pumpkin Soup 
34. Vietnam: Vietnamese Chicken Porridge (Chao Ga) 
35. Sudan: Red Lentil Soup (Sudanese Addas) 
36. Luxembourg: Bouchée à la Reine (Vol-au-Vent)
    
37. Uruguay: Pasta Caruso
38. China: Homemade Fortune Cookies
39. Lesotho: Borotho Bread
40. Scotland: Tattie Scones
41. Native American Tribes of North America: Wild Rice, Squash, & Corn Soup
42. Guyana: Butterflaps
43. Greece: Cabbage Roll Rice Bowls
44. Réunion Island: Rougail Z'Andouille
45. Japan: Yoshinoya Beef Bowl (Gyudon)
46. Australia: Fairy Bread
47. Ecuador: Lentil Soup with Rice (Arroz con Menestra de Lentejas)
48. Slovakia: Garlic & Potato Soup (Cesnaková Polievka)
49. Turkey: Simit Bread
50. Dominican Republic: Taco Shepherd’s Pie (Pastelón de Papa)
51. Libya: Macroona Imbakbaka (Libyan Minestrone)
52. Malta: Brodu Tat-Tigiega (Maltese Chicken Soup)
53. Wales: Cawl Cennin (Welsh-Style Leek & Potato Soup)
54. Morocco: Kefta Tagine with Eggs in Tomato Sauce
55. Bermuda: Bermuda Triangle Cocktail
56. Philipines: Pork Siomai
57. Chile: Chilean Beef & Corn Shepherd's Pie (Pastel de Choclo)
58. Slovenia: Slovenian Flatbread (Belokranjska Pogača)
59. Lebanon: Ka’ak (Lebanese Purse Bread)
60. Congo: Moambe Chicken (Congo Poulet Moambe)
61. Guatamala: Fiambre (Guatemalan Salad)
62. Austria: Viennese Kaiser Rolls
63. French Polynesia: Vanilla Bean Lemonade
64. Seychelles: Creole Rice
65. Switzerland: Bündner Gerstensuppe (Swiss Barley Soup)
66. Brazil: Brigadeiro (Brazilian Fudge Balls)
67. Madagascar: Hen`omby Ritra (Malagasy Simmered Beef)
68. Spain: Tortilla Española (Potato Omelette)
69. Afghanistan: Aush (Afghan Noodle Soup)
70. Indonesia: Nasi Goreng with Chicken
71. Denmark: Frikadeller (Danish Meatballs)
72. Oman: Omani Bread (Khubz Ragag)
73. Costa Rica: Costa Rican Garbanzo Bean and Chicken Soup
74. Palestine: Whole Chickpea Hummus (Musabaha)
75. Zimbabwe: Beef Hifiridzi (Beef Short Ribs with Greens)
76. Kiribati: Kiribati Squash Coconut Soup
77. Belize: Pan de Muerto
78. Azerbaijan: Sweet Turmeric Milk Bread (Shirin Chorek)
79. Iceland: Piparkökur (Icelandic Pepper Cookies)
80. Zambia: Zambian Spinach
81. Burma/Myanmar: Garlic Oil Noodles with Chicken
82. Moldova: Zeama (Moldovan Chicken Soup)
83. Samoa: Keke Pua’a (Samoan Steamed Pork Buns)
84. Honduras: Honduran Style Refried Beans
85. Czech Republic: Česnečka (Czech Garlic & Potato Soup)
86. Vatican City: Gnocchi al Vaticano