I sa an advert recently in a NZ Home & Garden (I think) for a shelf stable pack of potato gnocchi. New World were the stockists apparently, but I have been unable to find anything there, & was wondering if other readers of Foodlovers have purchased this product & from where. An internet search provided me with lots of recipes, but I thought of trying the store bought version first, unlsess someone has a great recipe thats pretty much foolproof.
Thanks in advance,
Lyn

Hi Lyn,

have made oodles of these over the years, they are the easiest things to make:

GNOCCHI

500g cooked potatoes (don't over cook), mashed (plain) or pushed thru sieve
1C plain flour
1/3C parmesan cheese, grated
1 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Knead on floured surface until smooth and velvety. Divide dough into 4 batches. Cover 3 with tea towel. Roll out remaining piece of dough to a long thin sausage approx 2cm thick. Cut into 1cm pieces. There is a knack to the next bit but you will get it - hard to describe. Shape the piece to an oval and using a fork roll the piece over your finger or thumb to achieve the shape and pattern that gnocchi is. Reapeat with rest of dough. Trust me it does work - my first ones, way back when, looked odd as compared to these days but they taste great.

Anyways, moving on....

....get a large pot of salted water on the boil. Drop approx 20 gnocchi into water. They are cooked when they rise to the surface. 1 - 2 mins depending on their thickness. Remove to a warm dish with slotted spoon or even better a wire mesh ladle. Serve with your choice of pasta sauce

Hi Ang,
Do you use floury potatos or waxy? Are any varieties better to use than others?
Megan

Hi Megan,

I just use whatever potato variety I have on hand - have never noticed much of a difference in the end product. Have just checked the original recipe - it doesn't stipulate any particular variety. Suffice to say I have had no failures over the years.

I would imagine you could try pumkin or other veg in place of the not-so-humble potato

Ghastly things, store bought gnocchi!! Homemade are infinitely better, and as has been explained, easy to make. Some things I would add, you should always work with very hot potatos. Boil them in the skins and peel ( and juggle) whilst hot. Mix flour in whilst hot also. I have always used a floury potato as opposed to waxy, but that is because I was taught by my Mama in law, and have never considered trying any other! Most Italians do not add cheese to the mix, and some will add an egg. Personally, you dont need the egg.
For pumpkin gnocchi, select a dry, tasty pumpkin and proceed as for potato gnocchi. They are wonderful served with browned butter in which some fresh sage leaves and garlic has been cooked also. The sage can be cooked till crisp, but add the garlic last minute or so, this way it will not burn and become bitter. Pour over any type of gnocchi, sprinkle with ' un po' di grana' and taste the difference!!

Yes, you're right Lyn. It is important to work gnocchi ingredients straight away. I put it down to asbestos hands, though the heat soon goes

I've never yet made gnocchi, and bought ones have not been an experience one wants to repeat, but Ang and Lyn describe them so well I'm going to give them a go. Thank you both!

O.K. I'll ask .... what is 'un po di grana'?

' Un po' di grana' simply means a little parmesan. Grana, from Grana Padano Parmigiano, but the phrase is my Italian families dialect!:p