Potato gnocchi are so easy to make and so versatile. They’re delicious dressed with anything from a simple pesto (no cooking needed beyond boiling the pasta) to a more sophisticated gorgonzola and walnut sauce.
They’re also a perfect way to get kids of any age into the kitchen, as I discovered recently when I made gnocchi with six-year-old Eloise.
If there’s a young person in your life, watch Ellie and me making gnocchi and three simple sauces on the Be Inspired YouTube channel, then get into the kitchen with them and share the joy of making something delicious from scratch (there’s a link to each of the recipes in the video descriptions).
Whatever age, everyone enjoys the satisfaction of making these deliciously easy gnocchi. They can be boiled ahead of time, chilled in iced water, patted dry, tossed with oil and set aside or refrigerated overnight; just before serving blanch in boiling water until they float.
Serves: 2
Ingredients
rock salt, for baking
500g floury potatoes, washed
75g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
pinch salt flakes, crushed
1 egg yolk
sauce of your choice, for serving
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Spread rock salt onto a baking tray. Place potatoes on the salt and bake for 60–90 minutes, until a wooden skewer easily passes in and out of them.
Sift flour onto a clean, dry work surface.
Pass potatoes through a potato ricer onto the flour (or pass through a mouli or peel and press through a fine sieve).
Add salt flakes and egg yolk and use a pastry scraper to cut the flour into the potato, then use your hands to form a soft dough without mixing any more than necessary.
Divide into three portions.
On a lightly flour-dusted bench, use your hands to gently roll each portion into a two centimetre-thick log. Using the pastry scraper or a knife, cut 2cm-long pieces, roll them along a gnocchi board for the traditional gnocchi shape if you like (this is optional).
Toss lightly in flour on a tray.
Bring a large saucepan of well salted water to the boil (10g salt for every litre of water). Boil gnocchi for a minute or two, until they float. Using a slotted spoon, scoop them out of the water into the sauce (or into iced water if cooking ahead of time), reserving the cooking water.
Gently toss gnocchi and sauce together, adding a tablespoon or so of the cooking water to give a creamy, coating consistency.
Spoon into warmed flat bowls and serve. You’ll find a print-friendly version of this recipe (and an adult version of the gnocchi-making video) here.
We learn best by seeing then doing – and a Recipes+Videos online cooking class is perfect for any age. Give a gift of kitchen confidence this year, a present that lasts a lifetime.
Find more cooking inspiration on my website BeInspired.au.
Also read: Traditional Italian Tiramisu
