I went to the high country of Victoria recently and took a cooking course at Pizzini Wines. We made gnocchi: pasta made with potato. For a very satisfying mid-week dinner, stir it through your favourite pesto and garnish with good-quality olive oil and parmesan. For an impressive weekend feast, try a slow-cooked ragout.
Gnocchi can be frozen - just allow a few extra minutes cooking time.
Ingredients
| 1 kg | Floury potatoes (Main) |
| 2 | Free-range egg yolks |
| 50 g | Parmesan cheese, finely grated |
| 1 tsp | Salt |
| 1 cup | Flour, plus extra for rolling |
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Directions
- Peel the potatoes, cut into chunks and boil in plenty of salted water for about 30 minutes. Drain well, then return to the pot without water and give them an additional dry out - hold the lid on the pot and give them a shake.
- Mash the potatoes extremely well, and push through a ricer if you have one. Otherwise, push the mash through a sieve and into a bowl.
- Add the egg yolks and the parmesan and combine well with a wooden spoon. Add the salt and add a bit of flour at a time, continuing to mix as you do. Once all flour is added you should have a soft dough.
- Take the dough on to a floured benchtop and divide into four portions. Take one portion and, using both hands, gently roll the ball of dough away from you into a long snake shape, about 2 cm thick. Using a small sharp knife, cut along the dough into pieces approximately 3cm long. Roll each piece gently between your hands to plump it slightly, then give it a gentle press with a fork. Repeat with all the dough.
- To cook, drop the gnocchi into a pot of boiling, salted water. Once the gnocchi float to the surface, remove with a slotted spoon (this only takes a few minutes). Serve immediately with your favourite pesto.
