If you are intimidated by homemade fresh pasta, don't be: these traditional gnocchi couldn't be any simpler. And they are, accidentaly, vegan.
If there is one thing I love, that's authentic Italian food. Don't get me wrong, I would every international attempt at Italian food I am presented with, and I am not normally fussy when it comes to people recreating Italian dishes. However, sometimes, I just crave a taste of home, and that for me is authentic Italian food, specifically Ligurian. I have so many recipes that have been passed down to me from both my grandmothers, that I would cook with them in their kitchen growing up. It's easy Italian food. No fancy ingredients. In a way, a "poor" cuisine. And yet, it tastes absolutely delicious. Goes to show that sometimes, less really is more.
You might not know Liguria (well you might know Portofino, which is in Liguria), but some Ligurian food is famous all over the world. Pesto and focaccia are the best examples. And then there are gnocchi, another Ligurian specialty you can easily find in the chilled section of your local supermarket. But the thing with all these food items is, they are so damn easy to make, and taste so much better homemade, that you should really skip the supermarket version. Gnocchi, for example, only require three pantry staples, and they even happen to be vegan. Proof that you can eat facy, authentic Italian food on the tiniest budget.
What You Will Need To Make This Soft, Pillowy Goodness:
Potatoes: Literally, any potato will do. I used plain and simple white British potatoes and they worked a treat, The only type of potatoes I am unsure of is new potatoes, as I have never made gnocchi with those. But if you want to be a pioneer and try, please do let me know how they turn out!
Plain Flour: In Italy we sometimes use '00' flour, which I never seem to be able to find here i the UK. Fortunately, plain flour does the trick just fine.
Salt: This is optional. My nan rarely uses it as she abundantely salts the gnocchi water before cooking them. I, however, can taste the difference when the gnocchi doesn't have salt in the dough. But you do you.
A Fork: Some people (like, erm, professionals) have a special tool to give gnocchi those distinctive horizontal lines. But we don't use that, not at all. Not because we are against using such tool, but simply because a good old fork works perfect and keeps the fuss to a minimum.
How To Have The Best Gnocchi In Town:
Smother Them In Fresh Pesto: This is the traditional way to enjoy Gnocchi. The pesto should really be fresh - it tastes completely differen than jarred. And lucky for you, I have got the perfect recipe for fresh pesto just here.
Cover Them In Bolognese Sauce: Not strictly traditional, but that's how my mother loves them and I am sure you'll love them too.
Drizzle Them In Butter and Sage: Nothing easier than melting some butter on the stove with a few sage leaves and then pouring this sticky, buttery sauce all over your gnocchi, Perfect for the colder months!
Ingredients:
Serves 4
750 gr white potatoes
250 gr plain flour
1 tsp salt
Method:
Peel the potatoes and cut them into big chunks (about 2 inches thick), or quarters.
Add the potatoes to a pot with cold water and bring to a boil. After the water starts boiling, cook for about 12-15 minutes, or until completely soft (this will vary according to the size of the chunks and the type of potatoes you used).
Drain the potatoes and let them sit on a sieve on top of a bowl until fully cool.
Transfer the potatoes to a bowl and mash them well. Then add the flour and salt. Mix with your hands until all the flour has been incorporated to the mashed potatoes.
Transfer to a floured surface. Take a handful of the dough, roll it into a ball and coat it in some flour. Then, using your hand, lightly press on the ball ad roll it into a long, thin "sausage" (about 1.5 cm thick).
Using a knife, cut the potato roll into small rectangles, about 2 cm long. They will look like little pillows of joy.
Now take a fork and place one of the gnocchi at the base of the tines. With your thumb, lightly press on the gnocchi, whilst also rolling it towards the end of the tines. You should get a gnocchi that is almost shallow on one side and curved and with horizontal lines on the other. A bit like a little shell. Repeat until you have tunerd all the potato mixture into gnocchi.
To cook them, boil some salted water over a pot and gently add the gnocchi to the water (absolutely don't put the gnocchi in the pot before the boiling water). Once the gnocchi are all floatong to the surface, they are cooked (this could take under 2 minutes so watch them closely). Simply use a slotted spoon and transfer them to a plate.
You can also freeze your gnocchi. I would recommend freezing them for half an hour on a plate or a baking tray and pnly then transferring them to a zip lock bag (if you don't do this, your gnocchi will simply freeze in one big cluster).
Cover them in pesto or in your favourite pasta sauce.
Enjoy!
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So much fun to make! My boyfriend and I made these one Sunday and not only did we have a lot of fun making these little pillows of goodness but they were so tasty to eat too!