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Friday, August 4, 2023

2 Treats from Emilia-Romagna; Gnocco Frito and Celita Sangiovese and the Weekly Menu #ItalianFWT

Tender, delicious dumplings of fried bread dough sprinkled with parmesan cheese and served with a side of Marinara Sauce pair wonderfully with this Celita Sangiovese from Emilia-Romagna.

Gnocco Frito and Sangiovese
Jennifer of Vino Travels, administrator of our Italian Food Wine and Travel group, is hosting today and invited us to explore the regions of Emilia-Romagna and Liguria this month.

Map of Italy with Emilia-Romagna highlighted
image from google

I chose to visit Emilia-Romagna, primarily because I was able to source a bottle of Celita Sangiovese from this area through my WSJ Membership.  

Wine

This Sangiovese is grown in the Rubicone district of Emilia-Romagna and is every bit as wonderful as the Sangiovese wines I have enjoyed from Tuscany.  Celita is the 4th generation of the Ravaioli family to make wines at the family's estate, Poderi dal Nespoli.

Gnocco Frito

Once I had the wine on hand, I went to Nonnabox, a blog by Guido Pedrelli, who shares recipes from his Nonna's recipe box.  There I found a traditional recipe from Emilia-Romagna for these fried bread dumplings that I adapted to pair with the wine and share with you today.

Gnocco Frito pin

This was a wonderful appetizer.  We enjoyed it on the deck with the Sangiovese, while we grilled Meatballs to make a Sandwich that I will share with you on Sunday.  

Who doesn't love fried dough?!!  The wine is medium-bodied and fruity.  It was good with the bread by itself, but when you dipped the Gnocco Frito into a Marinara Sauce, it made the wine sing.  I think this would be a great pizza wine!!

Make sure you stop by and see what the others have to say about the Food Wine and Travel in the Emilia-Romagna and Liguria regions of Italy.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.  I am heading to a neighboring town for an Art Fair on Sunday.  On Tuesday we are meeting up with the Bonacorsis and Luths to continue planning for the Normandy trip.  Wednesday, my Marina, Little Miss M and I are going to spend the day at a Nature Center and on Friday we have been invited to friends for lunch and a boat ride.

Here is my Weekly Menu.......

Saturday
Fried Tomato and Bacon Sandwiches
Corn on the Cob

Sunday-Art Fair
Dinner out

Meatless Monday
Vegetable Stir Fry
Steamed Brown Rice

Tuesday
Dinner out with friends

Wednesday
Chicken Fajita Salad

Thursday-Picnic
Apple Cider Glazed Wings
Carrots and Celery Sticks with Ranch Dressing
Apple Slices, Grapes, and Cherries
Cheese and Crackers

Fish Friday
Tuna Pasta Salad





Breads, appetizers, dumplings
Breads
Italian
Yield: 15 pieces
Author: Wendy Klik
Gnocco Fritto

Gnocco Fritto

Tender, delicious dumplings of fried bread dough sprinkled with parmesan cheese
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 5 MinInactive time: 3 HourTotal time: 3 H & 20 M

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 c. flour, divided
  • 5 T. water, divided
  • 1/4 t. dry yeast
  • 2 T. olive oil + more for frying
  • pinch of sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • Freshly grated parmesan cheese, if desired
  • Marinara sauce, if desired

Instructions

  1. Combine 3 Tablespoons of the flour with the yeast and sugar. Stir in the water. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise at room temperature until double in size and very bubbly, about one hour.
  2. Mix in the remaining flour, salt, and water. Knead until water is absorbed. Knead in the 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and knead until the dough is smooth and soft. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for another 2 hours. Volume should be increased dramatically (about 3x).
  3. Roll the dough into a rectangle and then cut it into slices, diagonally.
  4. Heat about 2" of oil in a saucepan. Fry the dough in batches until the dumplings swell and are golden brown on both sides, flipping as necessary for about a minute. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb excess grease and keep warm while frying the remaining dumplings.
  5. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve with marinara sauce, if desired.

Notes

Adapted from a recipe by Nonna Box

Nutrition Facts

Calories

65.23

Fat (grams)

2.55 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

0.59 g

Carbs (grams)

8.72 g

Fiber (grams)

0.41 g

Net carbs

8.31 g

Sugar (grams)

0.39 g

Protein (grams)

1.79 g

Sodium (milligrams)

76.82 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

1.74 mg

8 comments:

  1. I don't fry things very often, but I can see making an exception for this recipe. Thanks for sharing.

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  2. I loved fried things a little TOO much - these sound delicious. So does that fried tomato and bacon sandwich you mentioned...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, that is a new recipe that I found. I hope it is as delicious as it sounds. Thanks Andrea.

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  3. Yum, fried bread! Sounds delicious! Your post has great information and caused me to realize how little I know about Emilia-Romagna!

    ReplyDelete
  4. What an interesting combination, basically fried dough with sangiovese. Thanks for contributing!

    ReplyDelete

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