Making Gnocchi
I fell in love with gnocchi with pesto the first time I tried it in Baltimore's Paterson Park neighborhood. Every Tuesday I would go to a pizzeria called Tutti Gusti to have dinner with a group of about 20-30 friends who were mostly from Italy. I told myself that this gave me a chance to speak Italian, I never spoke more than a few phrases and my real motive was that going gave me a chance to eat gnocchi. My dad has always told me, "Listen to your gut" when you make a decision. Listening to my gut telling me to go to Tutti Gusti for the gnocchi turned out to be a great decision because it was there that I met my husband. It was by far the best decision I have made. Lesson learned? If you are craving something go eat it, chances are you will make a friend or meet your soul mate. And even if you are met with Mr. Greasy Wrong serving your favorite burger, at least you got the food you were craving.
I had no idea what gnocchi was made of or that you aren't really supposed to eat it with pesto, I just knew I liked it. Yesterday I got the chance to learn how to make it. Gnocchi is just about as easy to make as mashed potatoes.
Here is what we did: (3-4 servings)
Items needed:
Pot for boiling
Cutting board
Small knife
Wax paper
Large Sauce pan
Draining spoon
Ingredients:
4 medium yellow potatoes
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 can canned tomato cubes
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 Italian sausage per person
1. Peel potatoes and put in the empty pot. Fill with cold water till it covers the potatoes. Begin to boil. Don't boil the water first because it needs to start cold with the potatoes.
2. Put your sausages in the saucepan with 1/2 cup of water, and the tomato sauce. Heat on a low heat. Let it cook slowly while you prepare the gnocchi.
3. Drain the water when the potatoes are cooked. Mash the potatoes with a fork till there are no more pieces. Plop the potatoes on a clean floured table top.
4. Knead carefully a bit of flour into the potatoes till it is mixed. Knead with your palms slowly adding flour, salt and mixing thoroughly before adding more flour. Form a soft smooth ball.
5. Cut the dough into thick slices. Using your hands, roll each slice out into a long roll about an inch thick. Cut little rolls about the size of a quarter.
6. Roll each little ball with your thumb along the table before putting it on the wax paper. This makes a groove in the ball and helps it cook.
7. Spoon in the gnocchi balls into the boiling water to avoid dropping them and getting splashed. The gnocchi will sit at the bottom. They are cooked when they all float to the top.
8. Drain with a colander. Mix with your sausage tomato sauce. Serve hot with one sausage on the side. Sprinkle with shredded parmesean cheese if desired.
Enjoy!
I really loved making this and will do it again in the future.Apparently our table felt the love because our work space showed the form of a heart. How cute.
Gnocchi is a great meal, very filling and so fun to make, especially with other people.
I had no idea what gnocchi was made of or that you aren't really supposed to eat it with pesto, I just knew I liked it. Yesterday I got the chance to learn how to make it. Gnocchi is just about as easy to make as mashed potatoes.
Gnocchi Molto Buono
Here is what we did: (3-4 servings)
Items needed:
Pot for boiling
Cutting board
Small knife
Wax paper
Large Sauce pan
Draining spoon
Ingredients:
4 medium yellow potatoes
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 can canned tomato cubes
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 Italian sausage per person
1. Peel potatoes and put in the empty pot. Fill with cold water till it covers the potatoes. Begin to boil. Don't boil the water first because it needs to start cold with the potatoes.
2. Put your sausages in the saucepan with 1/2 cup of water, and the tomato sauce. Heat on a low heat. Let it cook slowly while you prepare the gnocchi.
3. Drain the water when the potatoes are cooked. Mash the potatoes with a fork till there are no more pieces. Plop the potatoes on a clean floured table top.
4. Knead carefully a bit of flour into the potatoes till it is mixed. Knead with your palms slowly adding flour, salt and mixing thoroughly before adding more flour. Form a soft smooth ball.
5. Cut the dough into thick slices. Using your hands, roll each slice out into a long roll about an inch thick. Cut little rolls about the size of a quarter.
6. Roll each little ball with your thumb along the table before putting it on the wax paper. This makes a groove in the ball and helps it cook.
7. Spoon in the gnocchi balls into the boiling water to avoid dropping them and getting splashed. The gnocchi will sit at the bottom. They are cooked when they all float to the top.
 |
| Fully cooked |
8. Drain with a colander. Mix with your sausage tomato sauce. Serve hot with one sausage on the side. Sprinkle with shredded parmesean cheese if desired.
 |
| My favorite! |
Enjoy!
I really loved making this and will do it again in the future.Apparently our table felt the love because our work space showed the form of a heart. How cute.
Gnocchi is a great meal, very filling and so fun to make, especially with other people.
I've been wanting to try gnocchi for ages (actually learned about it from a Curious George episode!). Good for you for learning to make it...I'm impressed!
ReplyDeleteHey AJ! Curious George made gnocchi? Awesome. In this case it was my man with the yellow hat who taught me. LOL. It is not that hard to make :) I hope the directions were good enough to try :)
ReplyDelete