Gnocchi

I have gone through a tough period recently. My father died about a month ago after being diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas. His last weeks were very painful and I tried to be near him as much as possible. My mum is now living with me in Surrey. She had a difficult time as well and is still emotionally fragile, which is understandable. We are spending much of our time shopping and cooking. She is a great cook and her dishes are simple but very tasty.

Here is a recipe for homemade gnocchi, we have just tried them at home and they were delicious.

You need: 1 kilo of potatoes (ordinary ones, Maris piper are good), 400-500 g of white flour, 2 eggs, salt.

Boil the potatoes in salted  water. When they are ready (they need to be smooth when you test them with a skewer or a fork), put them in cold water and peel them. Mash the potatoes in a large bowl using a potato masher, then add the flour little by little and the eggs. Mix it well using your hands till you have a smooth dough. Knead it on a floured work surface for a few minutes, it should not be sticky.

Roll pieces of dough into long sausages and cut one inch pieces. Scatter the gnocchi on a tea towel as you go along. Finally slightly press each piece in the middle of the gnocchi with a finger, forming a dimple in the middle (this is to allow the sauce to be absorbed better).

Cook the gnocchi in salted boiling water, they are ready when they float to the top. Drain the gnocchi and serve them with tomato sauce and plenty of parmigiano.