‘Gnocchi di patate al pomodoro’ – mamma’s way

Difficulty:  Time:

INGREDIENTS:

• - 1.5 kg of Dutch potatoes (or any other floury type of potato)
• - 750 g of non raising flour type ‘00’
• - 1 egg
• - salt, sea salt
• - tomato sauce, already made*
• - a large handful of grated Parmesan
• - few fresh basil leaves (optional)
• - non salty butter

WHAT TO DO:

• 1. Start peeling and boiling the potatoes.
• 2. When the potatoes are boiled, put them on your kitchen table and mash them thoroughly. Try to create some kind of ‘volcano’ shape. Add some salt and the egg in the middle.
• 3. Little by little, add the flour and mix it from the outside to the inside of the volcano so that you get a much softer ‘mash’. A good way is to check if it doesn’t stick to your hands.
• 4. Then, from the mix/mash, make 1 cm (diameter) rolls and cut the rolls in small cubes. Gently, create some cracks in the cubes rolling the gnocchi under a fork.
• 5. Then get a large tray and spread some flour on it to avoid sticking. Place each gnocco on it.
• 6. Put a deep pan of water on a fire, cover with a lid and boil the water. When the water is boiling, bring it down to a gentle boil and add a handful of sea salt. Then bring the water back to boiling point.
• 7. Now it is the time to add the gnocchi. Throw them into the water — gently and one by one. Gnocchi are ready when they return to the surface. At that moment, pick them up carefully with a strainer and put them on a large dish with a generous amount of tomato sauce*, parmesan, a teaspoon of butter, and basil leaves.
• Serve them immediately!

TIPS & TRICKS:

• - The sauce can differ according to your taste. A nice variation is with melted butter and sage or pesto sauce as well as grated parmesan or Ragù sauce.
• - You can freeze the left over gnocchi and use them another time by adding them to the boiling water when still frozen. Remember, though, to freeze them separately on a tray ready for use.