Gnocchi with stracchino and spinach
- Easy
- 25 min
Sformato with green beans, potatoes and stracchino cheese is a classic dish from Northern Italy, especially popular during the spring when fresh veggies are at their peak. Seriously good stuff. This sformato recipe combines tender green beans, soft potatoes, and that smooth stracchino cheese, a creamy staple from Lombardy. It's known for its simple yet rich flavors, and you know what? It’s perfect for a family table. Really, it’s quick to prepare and shows off the fresh, moist texture and straightforward flavors typical of Italian home cooking. People in regions like Liguria and Lombardy really, really love these vegetable flans for letting veggies take center stage without much fuss.
The toasted almond flakes on top add a satisfying crispy contrast to the soft middle, creating a baked Italian flan recipe that's both light and comforting. Pretty much what you want. This green bean sformato is often served as a starter for spring lunches, but hey, it works great as a main course if you’re looking for something not too heavy. The potatoes add just the right touch of earthiness, while the creamy melted stracchino cheese brings everything together. Thing is, it's got that rich, Northern Italian style. Delicate flavors, much like a well-made potato sformato.
The golden almond topping paired with the soft interior is simply fantastic—no question. It’s perfect for a buffet or a family gathering and pretty simple. It has the best of simple Italian home cooking. Compared to dishes like Polpettone alla Ligure, it offers a lighter touch, allowing the green beans and potatoes to really shine. You don’t need any fancy ingredients—just quality veggies, great cheese, and a bit of time in the oven. The result is a soft, flavorful baked vegetable dish that stays true to Northern Italian traditions, making it a favorite among those who appreciate genuine and uncomplicated flavors. And the sauce? You'll love it.
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To prepare the green bean, potato, and stracchino bake, start by peeling 1 the potatoes and slicing them thinly 2; then trim the green beans 3.
Plunge the potatoes and green beans into salted boiling water and blanch for 10 minutes 4. Drain and let cool slightly 5. Meanwhile, prepare the stracchino cream: gather the stracchino and cream in a jug 6.
Add salt, pepper, and a handful of basil leaves for fragrance 7, drizzle with oil 8, and blend with an immersion blender 9.
You will obtain a compact sauce 10. Pour a spoonful at the bottom of a 10x7 inch baking dish 11 and create the first layer by adding about half of the potatoes and green beans 12.
Drizzle with a bit of oil 13 and a pinch of salt and cover with plenty of stracchino cream 14, spreading it carefully over the entire surface. Cover with half of the grated cheese 15.
Repeat with another layer: potatoes and green beans 16, making sure to arrange the latter neatly and press them lightly with the back of a spoon, then again with stracchino cream, the remaining grated cheese, some almond flakes, a drizzle of oil, and a grind of pepper 17. Bake in a preheated static oven at 430°F for about 20 minutes. Let it set slightly, then finish with fresh basil before serving your green bean, potato, and stracchino bake 18.