Is it the 29th yet? Is it Gnocchi time?
Gnocchi (in Italian) or Ñoquis (in Spanish) are an italian recipe of soft dumplings made from semolina, ordinary wheat flour, flour and egg, flour, egg and cheese, potato, bread crumbs or similar ingredients .
They can be serve with butter or oil or tomato sauce or any other sauce that you will use with pasta.
Although I am half Italian, born and raised eating Ñoquis, I learned to make them after I left Argentina. My friend Margarita, an excellent cook that I will refer many times in this blog, taught me how to make them. We enjoyed together many delicious Ñoquis meals. Thanks Margarita!
If you are wondering why the 29th, it is because in Argentina there is a tradition of eating ñoquis every month on the 29th. The tradition is to get together with friends and family to eat ñoquis, put a bill under your full plate before starting to eat and do not spend that bill until the next month. It is suppose to bring you more money. When it is about food tradition that involves yummy food, I am in! and I will follow it 
Don’t feel intimidated, Ñoquis are very easy to make. They can be frozen and cooked at any other time. Try this Ñoquis recipe next 29th for your guests and I will guarantee that you will impress them. Bonn Appetite!
| Potato Gnocchi |
|
- 2lb. cooked potatoes (about 2 cups of cooked potatoes)
- 1 1/2 cup of flour
- 1 TBSP corn stach
- 1 TSP baking powder
- 2 eggs
- 3 TBSP parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup of flour more for dusting board and dough
- Steam the pealed potatoes in the pressure cooker following your pressure cooker manual (approx 15 min after full pressure in low temperature)
- Mash the potatoes by hand and fluff them up a bit with a fork.
- Add the flour, egg, corn stach, baking powder, parmesan cheese and a pinch of salt.
- Mix by hand until you have a nice pliable ball of dough. Do not overmix.
- Prepare a work area and dust it with flour.
- Take the dough, a piece at a time, and roll it out gently with your hands until you have rolls about 3/4 inch in diameter.
- Gently roll the dough with your fingertips while while exerting the lightest pressure outwards, not down, to draw the dough out.
- Cut the tubes of dough into pieces about one inch long. Using either the tines of a fork or your fingertip, press against a piece of the dough and roll it slightly to form an indentation.
- As the gnocchi are made, place them on flat baking pan, lightly dusted with flour or lined with wax paper.
- Bring at least 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in a shallow saucepan.
- Gently drop the gnocchi, a few at a time, into the water.
- As soon as they rise to the surface, remove them with a slotted spoon, draining well.
- Arrange on a warm serving dish.
- Pour your favourite heated pasta sauce, butter or oil over them and sprinkle with the pepper and parmesan cheese.
- Serve immediately.
Everyday I ask my husband, “what would he like to have for dinner?” and his answer is always ” I want milanesas”.
