Nothing like fresh pasta! Gnocchi doesn’t need any fancy machines or tools. A simple tomato and basil sauce will keep it the hero. Make the pasta and sauce today, put the uncooked pasta in an air tight container and place both in the fridge ready for the quick meal tomorrow. I make double quantities and freeze half.
Ingredients
2-3 large Blue moon (or Desiree) potatoes – about 750g
1 cup Potato flour (170g)
1 large Egg (70g)
Instructions
Scrub the potatoes and place in a large saucepan, 3/4 filled with cold water. The potatoes should be whole and unpeeled. It is easier if they are a similar size so they all have the same approximate cooking times. Bring to the boil and then simmer until the potatoes are tender (start testing them at 20 – 30 minutes depending on how large they are) when prodded with a fork. Drain (removing one at a time if needed) and peel. Place the cooked potatoes through a potato ricer (or mash them finely) and spread out onto a chopping board. Allow to cool completely.
Make a well in the centre of the cooled cooked potatoes. Break open the egg in the centre of the potatoes and sprinkle over the cup of potato flour. Mix with your hands until the mixture is uniform and make a large loaf shape. Cut off a slice of the potato mixture and cut into cubes that are approximately 2 or 3 cm across. Roll each cube between the palms of both hands until you form balls. Set aside and work on the rest of the potato loaf one slice at a time (covering the loaf with some plastic wrap to prevent it drying out). Cover the gnocchi you have rolled as you prepare them with a clean tea towel (again to prevent them from drying out).
Boil a large pot of salted water. Gently drop the gnocchi in the water (don’t throw the lot in at once as you may overcrowd the pot, drop them in a handful at a time ) and cook them a few minutes until they rise to the surface. The potatoes are essentially already cooked so you will just need to heat the gnocchi through.
Serving
Serves 4
Lift the cooked gnocchi out of the water carefully with a slotted spoon, a few at a time, and place on warmed plates (remember you are cooking in batches). Spoon over the prepared tomato sauce (or other favourite sauce) and scatter with grated parmigiano and sprigs of basil before serving.
Storage
Freeze the uncooked gnocchi in a zip-lock bag.
Nutritional Information
Gnocchi
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* Per 100g figures are based on weight before final cooking of gnocchi of 850g For more accurate calculations you will need to weigh the final pasta and recalculate.
