Gnocchi
A perfect vegetarian dish that is delicate for summers when it’s better to avoid anything too spicy.
The word Gnocchi translates as “lumps” for their shape. And while there are many types of gnocchi, some based on vegetables such as the famous potato gnocchi, or pumpkin gnocchi, others made with ricotta cheese, these are made only with the purest of flours, along with water and a little salt and pepper.
Try serving them with a little butter or a splash of cream and a grating of cheese, luscious, rich, and yet simple.
Serves
6 - 8
Preparation Time
30 minutes + 30 minutes cooling
INGREDIENTS
1 kg Italian type 00 flour (suitable for fresh pasta and gnocchi)
pepper, to taste
coarse salt, to taste
1 litre water
METHOD
Sieve the flour, add a pinch of pepper and set aside. Put the water in a large saucepan and bring it to the boil with a little coarse salt. As soon as the water comes to the boil, turn the heat down to the minimum, add all the flour and stir with a wooden spatula until it comes away from the sides of the pan in a ball.
Transfer the dough to a pastry board or work surface and knead it for a few minutes while it is still very hot to make it smooth and eliminate any lumps – even if the dough burns you a little, it is a necessary step and just takes a minute.
Leave the dough for about 30 minutes to cool (if you are short of time, after a few minutes you can cut the dough into 2 cm slices so it cools much more quickly).
Then make small sticks from the dough and cut them into small pieces, press a finger to indent each one or roll them over the back of a fork to make the typical ridges on the gnocchi. As each is finished, place it on a clean, well-floured tea towel and leave to dry a little.
Continue until all the dough is finished.
To cook the gnocchi:
Gnocchi need very little time to cook. Put plenty of salted water to boil, and once it comes to the boil, add the gnocchi. Stir a couple of times and once the gnocchi rise to the top, remove them with a skimmer. Serve with a sauce of your choice.
