Gnocchi

The original Italian recipe for making gnocchi at home. Much easier than you might think!

Take a deep saucepan, add potatoes (without peeling them), abundant water, rock salt and bring to boil
Cook for about 30 minutes, or until potatoes are soft and start to peel
Drain, let cool a bit and remove the peel from the potatoes with a knife
Smash the potatoes in a large bowl with a fork or with a potato masher
Gradually add flour and beaten egg; work it with your hands until you have a soft dough
Sprinkle some flour on the surface where you are going to work the dough and roll it to form a log, about 1 finger wide
With a knife cut each log into a bite-sized piece (that’s your gnocchi!)
Final touch: roll each gnocchi over the tip of your fork, pressing gently with your index finger or thumb (the marks will make the sauce cling better to cooked gnocchi)

Any sauce you like, tomato or white

Potatoes have to be fluffy, dry and yellow; avoid white potatoes
The amount of flour is crucial: too much will make the gnocchi heavy and tough, while too little flour will make them disintegrate when boiled
You can add a pinch of nutmeg for an extra twist or surprise your guest with colored gnocchi: just add some tomato sauce for red gnocchi or spinach for green ones