Flour and water gnocchi are an ancient recipe that takes us back to the roots of Italian cuisine, long before potatoes arrived from the Americas.
Made with just two ingredients and no eggs, these gnocchi have deep roots in peasant tradition, where simplicity and ingenuity went hand in hand. In fact, to bind the flour—rice flour in my gluten-free version, specifically brown rice flour from Mulino Marello—boiling water is used. This technique gelatinizes the starch, acting as a kind of pre-cooking step that makes the dough more flexible and prevents it from falling apart when cooked.
To accompany them, I chose a legume I discovered thanks to the Chamber of Commerce of Rieti and Viterbo: the Fagiolo Secondo or Fagiolo Giallo della Stoppia di San Lorenzo. This bean is a typical product of the Alta Tuscia Laziale Mountain Community, grown using sustainable farming methods that respect natural cycles.
Its curious name tells the story of its traditional cultivation: Secondo refers to the agricultural practice of sowing the beans as the second crop of the year, while della Stoppia (i.e. of the stubble) refers to the fact that they were sown directly onto the wheat stubble just after harvest, using crop residues as a natural growing medium.
This late cultivation allowed the beans to be harvested as early as the end of August, offering farming families a valuable source of plant-based protein as autumn approached. These small brown beans are not only delicious but also quick to cook and naturally sweet, qualities attributed to the volcanic origin of the local soil.
Rich in plant proteins and fiber, these beans are ideal for those looking for balanced dishes full of flavor and suitable even for beginner cooks.
Flour and water gnocchi with beans
24.16g carbohydrates per 100g without onion topping
Ingredients for the gnocchi for 4 servings
- 200g brown rice flour*
- hot water
- a pinch of salt
For the bean sauce
- 400g tomato purée
- 150g dried Fagioli secondi or Gialli della Stoppia
- 70g carrot
- 40g celery
- 2 bay leaves
- wild fennel
- extravirgin olive oil Canino DOP
- salt and pepper
For the onion
- 5 Tropea onions
- extravirgin olive oil Canino DOP
- oregano
- salt and pepper
**Ingredients specific for celiacs
*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on Prontuario AIC)
Preparation
- Soak the dried beans overnight. The next day, boil them over low heat with two bay leaves until fully cooked. Turn off the heat and reserve the cooking water.
- Place the whole grain rice flour in a mixing bowl, add a pinch of salt, and pour in just enough lightly salted boiling water to create a smooth dough. You’ll need about half the weight of the flour in water. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for at least 15 minutes.
- Finely chop the carrot and celery, and sauté them in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the vegetables and tomato purée to the pan, season with salt, and let the sauce simmer for about 20 minutes. Then add the cooked beans and allow to cook together for another 15 minutes. Finish with chopped wild fennel.
- Slice the Tropea spring onions and gently soften them in a pan with a little olive oil. Season with oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Prepare the gnocchi: roll the dough into cylinders on a board dusted with rice flour, cut into 2 cm pieces, and place them on a tray.
- Cook the gnocchi in lightly salted boiling water until they reach your preferred texture. Note: they are not ready as soon as they float—they’ll need a bit longer.
- Lift them out with a slotted spoon and add directly to the bean sauce. Stir to combine, then serve with the Tropea onions and a drizzle of Canino olive oil.
