People often ask me if it is possible to cook from scratch delicious and healthy dishes when time is an issue. My answer is very simple: Time Management.
Planning an healthy meal is very simple and it will save you lots of time for sure! Firstly I always make sure I have the basic staples (such as pasta, rice, couscous, flour, semolina….) in my cupboard and pantry, also fresh herbs and vegetables are a must in my kitchen.
Today I am making a classic, “Gnocchi di Patate” (Potato Gnocchi) the easiest and quickest pasta dish that everyone will love. I would always freeze half of the gnocchi and I would cook them on a school night when time is definitely tight. Just like my Mamma and Nonna would do I love planning my meals on a daily base, when you are busy with the children, work, school runs and all the sorts of things a Mum needs to do I can guarantee you being organised in the kitchen makes your life better.
So are you ready? Have you got all the ingredients for this delicious dish?
Serving 4-6 people
Ingredients
4 large potatoes (1kg)
300g strong white flour
1 egg
salt
Preparation
In a large pot with just enough water to cover the potatoes, boil them with their skins on for about 20 minutes or until fork tender. Try not to over boil them.
Remove potatoes and drain well. Peel boiled potatoes and use a potato ricer to mash them until all completely smooth (alternately you can use a potato masher)
Place the riced potatoes into a large mixing bowl (or you can place them straight on a dry work top). Add the flour, the salt and the egg and start mixing with a fork.
Transfer the mix on a dry work top and pull together ingredients. Knead to form dough. Be careful not to over-knead. Be weary of adding flour at this point. Too much flour will give you hard gnocchi. Knead just enough for the dough to come together. Dough should have a loose airy texture, not gooey or dense. Shape dough into a long, wide cylinder for cutting.
Quarter dough. Roll each piece by gently pushing with fingers spread. The goal is to make an evenly-distributed rope.
Using a pastry cutter or non-serrated knife, cut dough ropes into 2cm pieces. To prevent sticking, keep gnocchi in a cool area. Toss them with extra flour while they are waiting to be cooked or frozen. Gently shake away any excess flour and place finished gnocchi in a large pot of salted boiling water. Cook the gnocchi until they float to the top, about 2-4 minutes. Gently remove them with a slotted spoon, drain very well. Toss them in a saucepan with your favorite sauce and cook together for about 2 minutes.
My children’s favourite Gnocchi dish is in a simple basil and tomato sauce but today I wanted to be more adventurous and I made a creamy mushroom sauce with garlic and thyme.
It was DELIZIOSO!!!!!!!
I hope I made Mamma and Nonna proud 🙂
BringNonnaBack 