Emanuela Marsura wrote to me from Italy and sent this guide to making potato gnocchi.  She wrote: "I sent you photos of the preparation of potato gnocchi."

Recipe for Potato Gnocchi

Ingredients

2 1/4 pounds Potatoes (1 kg)
2 Eggs (whole or just yolks)
Pinch Salt
A Little Flour

Serve with…

Parmesan &
Butter with Sage (if desired) or Meat Sauce


1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes.  Then cook them until soft.  Remove from stove and drain.

2.  Mash the potatoes with a masher.

3.  Combine the eggs and  a pinch of salt with the mashed potatoes.

4.  Mix with a spoon and then with your hands.  Add a little flour if needed. 

5.  Roll dough into a "snake" shape.

6. Cut dough "snake" into little pieces with a knife or spatula.

7.  Make the small pieces of dough into balls by rolling them in your hands.

8.  Prepare a plate dusted with flour.

9. To give the ball the proper texture of a gnocchi, roll it on the back of a hand grater and indent it a little with your thumb.  Then gently roll  it in the flour.

This gives the gnocchi a nice little place to collect the butter or sauce after it’s cooked.

10.  Cook the gnocchi in a large pot of boiling water.

11.  When the gnocchi rise to the service of the water, they’re ready.

12.  Remove them with a slotted spoon or a utensil like the one in the photo below.  (Does anyone know the English name for it?)

13.  Serve with meat sauce and lots of parmesan…

Or serve with melted butter with sage and lots of parmesan cheese…

Buon appetito!

Many thanks to Emanuela Marsura for sharing this recipe with us!

Mama Lisa