Gnocchi

A very simple recipe with just two main ingredients, and super cheap to make.

Serves: 4
Cost: Varies by location
Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 5 large starchy potatoes (like Agria or Russet), boiled in their skins (or 500gr of bailed mashed potatoes)

• 150g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

• 1 generous pinch of salt

Method

1. Boil the whole, unpeeled potatoes in heavily salted water until tender when pierced with a knife. Drain and let them cool just enough to handle.

2. Peel the potatoes, then mash them thoroughly using a potato ricer, food mill, or fork. Avoid using a blender or food processor. Weight the potatoes, you will need 500gr of boiled, mashed potatoes.  Let the mash cool completely.

3. On a lightly floured surface, spread out the cooled mashed potato. Sprinkle the 150g of flour and the salt evenly over the top.

4. Gently bring the mixture together with your hands to form a soft dough. Be careful not to overwork it.

5. Divide the dough into a few portions. Gently roll each portion on a floured surface into a long rope, about 1-2cm thick.

6. Use a dough scraper or a knife to cut the ropes into 2cm pieces.

7. Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Cook the gnocchi in batches. When they float to the surface, let them cook for 1-2 more minutes, then scoop them out with a slotted spoon.

Serving suggestions: Baked Gnocchi

You can enjoy this any way you want, but our favourite is this: boil you gnocchi, tossed in our easy tomato sauce and baked in the oven with mozzarella for around 10 minutes at 200 degrees celcius.

Another great sauce to serve gnocchi with is ragu Bolognese: get the recipe here!

Tips

• Do not over-knead: Overworking the dough will make the gnocchi tough.

• Cool the potatoes: Using cool mashed potato prevents a sticky dough and helps the gnocchi hold their shape.

• Classic sauce: Serve simply with melted butter and fresh sage, or a simple tomato sauce.

• Make ahead: You can freeze uncooked gnocchi in a single layer on a tray, then transfer to a freezer bag. Cook from frozen, adding a minute or two to the cooking time.