Come and make gnocchi with me!

Gnocchi are little potato dumplings! They are made using a schiacciapatate, a handful of eggs, a little nutmeg, salt, a pinch of butter and a handful of Parmigiano-Reggiano.

The first step is to bake the potatoes with their skins on until very soft. Then place whole potatoes in a schiacciapatate to extrude filaments of potato, this step is important. Mashing won’t work, neither will food processing, you need a schiacciapatate or food mill.

Then in a large bowl while the potatoes are still warm add eggs, parmigiano, nutmeg, butter, salt and combine with potato puree.

Now it’s time to cut the dough into small pieces easy to roll out. Use your fingers to press down and away from you.

I’ll get the water boiling, I’ll add a drop of olive oil and salt and when a vigorous boisterous boil begins I will call you “vieni! l’aqua e` pronta! come the water is boiling!”.

Then together we will hold the large wooden boards above the hot steamy saucepan and I will quickly push the freshly made gnocchi into the steamy rolling sea!

We will make a simple and quick ragu using the holy trinity vegetables: carrot, celery and onion. Then an addition of garlic, parsley, a few of my home grown dried tomatoes, and homegrown tomato puree.

Let’s harvest salad greens from the garden: chicory, rocket, calendula and parsley.

Then let’s eat together, chatting, always chatting about love and family and friends and all that we hold dear. And a little tarantella too! Just a little dance to help us digest our food and to really bring us together. T  o  g  e  t  h  e  r,      unlike these letters, together is closer, warmer and more welcoming.

Much love to you all, from mamma, mara