Homemade gnocchi is well worth the effort. These tiny, fluffy pillows are a country mile from their supermarket cousins. They do take some time to get ready though, but make an event of it – get other people involved, rolling out the gnocchi. The first few that come out of the conveyor belt may have to be consigned to the trash (or better recycled) but you’ll soon get the hang of it.
Ingredients
Serves 4, ready in 40 mins
Potatoes – 500g/1lb 2oz of a floury variety
Nudo sun-dried tomatoes – 90g/3½ oz
Plain flour – 120g/4½ oz
Egg yolks – 2
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan – grated for sprinkling
Fill a big pan with cold water, add the whole, unpeeled potatoes and bring to the boil. Cook until they are tender. Meanwhile place the tomatoes on a kitchen towel to take off excess oil, then blitz in a blender to make a smooth paste.
When the potatoes are cooked, drain, and peel off the skin. Now mash the potatoes until they’re really smooth, or even better use a potato ricer. Now, in a large bowl, mix together the potato, the flour, eggs yolks, salt and pepper. Add the tomato paste and mix the whole lot really well – hands are best – until you have a soft consistent dough.
Now roll out the dough onto a clean floured surface. You want to make long sausage shapes about 2cm/¾in thick. Cut these into 2cm/¾in pieces. Roll each one over the back of a fork to give it ridges and put aside onto a floury surface.
When the gnocchi are all made, bring to boil a big pan of salted water, and add as much gnocchi as will fit comfortably. When the gnocchi float to the surface they are cooked, so scoop them out with a slotted spoon. Serve with a decent sprinkling of parmesan cheese and olive oil. They’re also delicious mixed with a jar of Nudo black olive tapenade.
