Gnocchi are easy and fun to make. I make them in huge batches and freeze them for later, so I always have a supply for the week. This recipe can be chopped and changed as you like. No rocket, no problem use courgette, no Parmesan, use what you have in the fridge!

All you need to make the dough is; potato, salt and flour. No butter, eggs, cream, or anything else people have been telling you about. JUST flour, salt and potato. They are as light as air, and just melt under the tongue. Potato gnocchi are from the northern part of Italy, as the climate and land there is good for growing spuds. You can find all sorts of gnocchi dating back to roman times, when they were made from old bread and eggs, but these are without a doubt my favorite.

Steam the potatoes, then mash and spread out on a cold surface. Slowly work the flour in starting from the edges and working your way into the middle. Try not to knead the dough too much or they become tough.

Gnocchi with rocket, cashew nut and goat cheese

For the gnocchi

1 kg potato

Water for steaming

2 tsp salt

250 g flour (ostro)

 

For the sauce

1 handful of baby rocket (you can use ordinary rocket if you can’t find baby)

80 g roasted and ground cashew nuts (keep some whole for garnish)

2 tsp of torn basil

100 ml of chicken stock

60 ml white wine

30 g pecorino/ Parmesan

5/6 cherry tomato

Gnocchi

Wash the potatoes and put them to steam for about 30-40 minutes, or until soft. Mash the potatoes, or put through a potato ricer and spread out on your worktop.

Add the salt, and sprinkle half the flour around the edges of the hot potato. With your hands, slowly fold the flour into the mixture, working from the outside in, until it is combined, slowly add more flour until you reach a smooth texture, with a slight spring. (You may not need all the flour)

Cut the dough into small sections and roll into cylinders, about 1.2 cm in diameter. Then cut the each cylinder into individual gnocchi about 2 cm in length. Place on a floured tray until ready to use, or freeze until a later date.

Sauce

Pick and wash the basil and rocket and set aside. Toast the cashew nuts and grind to a fine powder (set some aside for garnish). Reduce the chicken stock and wine in a small sauté

Njoki sa mladom rikulom, bosiljkom i indijskim oraščićima

1 kg krumpira

Voda

2 žličica soli

250 g oštrog brašna

Za umak

1 šaka mlade rikule (možete koristiti i normalnu rikulu ako nemožete naći mladu)

80 g tostiranih i smrvljenih indijskih oraščića (neke ostavite cijele za dekoraciju)

2 žličice trganog bosiljka

100 ml pilećeg temeljca

60 ml bijelog vina

30 g pecorino/ parmezan

5/6 cherry rajčica

 

Njoki

Operite krumpire i stavite ih pariti oko 30-40 minuta dok ne omekane. Zgnječite krumpire (da dobite smjesu kao pire) i stavite smjesu na radnu površinu.

Dodajte sol i posipajte pola brašna oko ruba vrućeg krumpira. Rukama polako dodavajte brašno u smjesu krumpira, umješavajući izvana prema unutra dok se smjesa ne poveže, lagano dodavajte ostatak brašna dok ne dobite glatku smijesu. (možda nećete trebati svo brašno)

Izrežite tijesto u nekoliko manjih komada i izrolajte ih u cilindar, otprilike 1,2cm dijametra. Zatim svaki cilindar izrežite u njoke, otprilike 2cm dužine. Stavite njoke na pobrašnjenu površinu do korištenja, a možete ih i smrznuti ako ih ne planirate odmah koristiti.

Umak

Uberite i operite bosiljak i mladu rikolu i stavite sa strane. Tostirajte indijske oraščiće i smrvite ih (neke ostavite cijele za dekoraciju). Reducirajte pileći temeljac i bijelo vino u tavi i dodajte kuhane njoke. Kuhajte dok se tekućina ne reducira i malo zgusne. Ubacite smrvljene indijske oraščiće, bosiljak, rikolu, rajčice, i sir, te začinite soli i paprom po želji.

Dekorirajte gotovo jelo sa indijskim oraščićima, bosiljkom i svježe mljevenim paprom.

Dobar tek!