Gnocchi recipe
Are you looking for a classi gnocchi recipe? Look no further!
Gnocchi recipe is very traditional in many places in Italy. They’re usually prepared on Sundays or during holidays and special occasions. These little soft and chewy pillows are perfect with a rich meat tomato sauce, but also with pesto, butter and sage or also with anchovies and broccoli.
Usually potatoes are mashed with a special tool (a potato ricer), not the usual masher, because there should not be lumps into the dough to get the best result. You can buy a potato ricer on line pretty much every where in the world.
Gnocchi recipe: some trivia and fun facts
Even though you may have heard of Gnocchi alla romana (made form semolina not potatoes), potato gnocchi has a very big place in roman cuisine.
“Giovedì Gnocchi” – Thursday Gnocchi
There’s an old Roman saying “Giovedì gnocchi, venerdì pesce, sabato trippa” (“Thursday gnocchi, Friday fish, Saturday tripe”). This saying, very renowned in Rome, comes from pre-WWII food culture. At that time it was customary to eat carbs before lean Friday fish and heavier meat on weekends.
Thursday then was a sort of “treat day,” and gnocchi made with potato, flour, and egg became the go-to. Usually seasoned with a light tomato and basil sauce, this dish became very popular throughout the capital. Actually many traditional Trattorie still serve gnocchi on Thursdays.
Potato gnocchi recipe: tips and tricks
The recipe for making gnocchi is easy and they freeze very well, I usually make more to keep them ready in the freezer when I’m in a hurry. This way I can have gnocchi even when I do not have much time to cook.
How to freeze fresh gnocchi
Simply boil the gnocchi for a couple of minutes, drain, cool and freeze on a large baking tray lined with parchment paper as soon as they’re enough cooled down to be handled (about two hours). Once they’re semi frozen, transfer them into a ziplock bag. They will keep for at least 5 months.
How to shape gnocchi
When you make gnocchi you want them to collect as much sauce as possibile. To get this result you can go two ways: using your finger or a fork to change the shape. If you want to use your hand, simply make an indentation in each one with your finger.
You can otherwise use a fork to make a pattern. I have to say I prefer this one, it takes a bit longer but the result is better!
Try using the same sauce I used to make lasagne to season this gnocchi, with a generous amount of greated pecorino on top you will get the true taste of a classic home made Italian recipe.
Gnocchi recipe
Ingredients
- 600 gr potatoes
- 300 gr flour
- 1 egg
- 1 pinch of salt
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes whole, skin on, and peel them once cooked
- mash the potato or use a potato ricer for the perfect texture.IMPORTANT!!! do not use a food processor otherwise they’ll become creamy ad it will be almost impossibile to obtain a decent dough.
- pour the mashed potatoes in a bowl and add the other ingredients, mix with a spoon or with a spatula then with your hands until you get a firm dough (it will still be a little sticky, but do not add too much flour otherwise they’ll become too hard when cooked)
- roll the dough into cylinders and then cut into 2cm dumplings. You can now choose to roll each dumpling onto a fork to get the striped shape that will gather more sauce or you can simply make an indentation with your finger.
- cook gnocchi into abundant boiling water and drain. Serve with meat sauce, butter and sage, cheese sauce or pesto.
