Gnocchi
gnocchi di patate
Soft dumplings most often made from potato and flour. Italian migration made ñoquis a monthly tradition in parts of South America.
About this dish
Gnocchi is a broad Italian dumpling family, with potato gnocchi one of its best-known forms. The tender pieces are shaped to hold sauce; this recipe covers the potato version rather than implying all Italian gnocchi use potatoes.
Recipe
Italian potato gnocchi
- 900 g starchy potatoes in their skins
- 220-280 g all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- pinch of nutmeg
- 20 g flour for dusting
Serve
- 400 g prepared tomato sauce
- 40 g Parmesan, grated
- 1
Use 900 g starchy potatoes in their skins; 220-280 g all-purpose flour; 1 egg and the listed remaining ingredients. Boil potatoes whole until tender or bake at 200°C/400°F until soft. Peel while warm, rice and spread out to release steam; cool. Keep skins intact while boiling, drain well, rice warm and spread to release steam.
- 2
Mix potatoes with egg, salt, nutmeg and 220 g flour gently. Add more only until a soft dough forms. Fold gently, not knead like bread; stop flour additions when a rope holds.
- 3
Roll into 2 cm ropes, cut 2 cm pieces and roll lightly over a fork for ridges. Dust lightly, make equal pieces and press fork ridges gently.
- 4
Serve: 400 g prepared tomato sauce; 40 g Parmesan, grated. Boil in batches until floating, then 1 minute more. Test one for a cooked center, drain and toss gently with warm sauce. Add Parmesan. Floating begins the last cook; test a tender, not raw sticky, center. Drain and fold into hot sauce before Parmesan.
Note
Dry potatoes and minimal handling keep gnocchi light. Do not knead until elastic like pasta dough. Dusting flour or starch is separate from the mixed dough; use only what is needed on the work surface.