Gnocchi ready for the pot

There is something so comforting about gnocchi, I am not sure if it is the sense of accomplishment for trying to make them rather than buy them, or whether it is the comfort of wrapping your hands around a bowl of  something so moreish and belly-warming. It might be both, but I love making gnocchi and once you have the hang of it, not difficult at all. Come on, you try it……

The thing with making gnocchi is that you must get the ratio of potato to flour just right and also choose your potatoes wisely. Another important issue is to not get too much water in the potatoes when you cook them. One way of doing this is to cook the potatoes with their skins on and peel them afterwards, but my favorite and most successful way of doing this is to bake the potatoes in their jackets. With electricity costs rising almost every month, this can become quite a costly exercise so I roast my potatoes whenever I have to switch the oven on for something else. For instance tonight, we are having tuna bake so while this casserole is in the oven, I will roast a few potatoes and make my gnocchi, so tomorrow night’s supper is halfway done.
The best potatoes to use for gnocchi is a floury potato with very little water content, which in South Africa means…. Up-to-date potatoes!

Gnocchi with Tomato and Basil

Gnocchi smothered in a rich tomato and basil sauce

More pasta dishes