11 Jan Gnocchi di Patate (Potato Gnocchi)

 You can watch Ellie and Roberta Muir making gnocchi and three simple sauces on the Be Inspired YouTube channel.

Teens can tackle these recipes alone, and younger children will get a great sense of satisfaction with just a little adult assistance. Cooking is also a great opportunity to talk about maths (weights and measures), history (origin of ingredients), geography (where dishes come from) and even languages. Share the joy of making something delicious from scratch with your kids these school holidays (there’s a link to each of the recipes in the videos’ descriptions).

 Potato gnocchi are so easy to make and so versatile. They’re deliciously dressed with anything from a simple pesto (no cooking needed beyond boiling the pasta) to a more sophisticated Gorgonzola & 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.

These deliciously easy gnocchi can also 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 3 portions.
• On a lightly flour-dusted bench, use your hands to gently roll each portion into a 2cm-thick log.
• Using the pastry scraper or a knife, cut 2cm-long pieces and 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 2 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 here
Find more cooking inspiration on Roberta Muir’s website BeInspired.au