My great-grandmother, or Auntie Nonni as we used to call her, grew up in a very small village called Dipignano, in post WW1 Cosenza, Italy. Her way of living was quite rural, and the common practice of the time was to grow and make things themselves, such as potatoes. Gnocchi mainly focuses on potatoes, making this a great recipe for the living situation. The potatoes give the pasta the light, pillowy texture it traditionally has. As well as adding that starchy potato smell to the air around the cooking space. The traditional version of this recipe uses less flour and more potatoes, and doesn’t require as much time spent kneading. Though, more flour makes the pasta denser, which is the way my grandpa and Auntie Nonni liked it, and the way she would make it.
Shortly after WW2, two years after my great-grandfather moved to Canada, Auntie Nonni took a ship here with my five-year-old grandpa and his sister to meet him. She spent the rest of her life in Sudbury, Ontario. Which is where my grandpa grew up, and where I got to experience making a traditional Italian meal from scratch for the first time.
Shortly after WW2, two years after my great-grandfather moved to Canada, Auntie Nonni took a ship here with my five-year-old grandpa and his sister to meet him. She spent the rest of her life in Sudbury, Ontario. Which is where my grandpa grew up, and where I got to experience making a traditional Italian meal from scratch for the first time.
In the basement of my Auntie Nonni’s house, with my grandpa and dad, she taught us how to make gnocchi the way she’d done it her whole life. At this time she was in her late 80’s, so my dad had been making an attempt to let her instruct without having to do any of the work. Though this wasn’t very successful. While he was kneading the dough, she came over and touched it to see if it had the right "feel”. With her expertise, she decided it didn’t, and took the ball of dough from him to continue kneading. It was funny to see the Italian urge to make sure this recipe, that she knew so well, was done right, even at her age.
The pictures I have of us at work also show her helping me use a traditional gnocchi basket made specifically for this task. It creates grooves in the pasta that help them hold the sauce. The basket we used is over 100 years old, and was handmade in Italy. We now have it in our house and use it occasionally for this recipe.
Auntie Nonni has since passed on, but each time we make this recipe, I’m reminded of that time in her basement where she shared a piece of her with us. I hope to continue using and sharing this recipe in her memory.
The pictures I have of us at work also show her helping me use a traditional gnocchi basket made specifically for this task. It creates grooves in the pasta that help them hold the sauce. The basket we used is over 100 years old, and was handmade in Italy. We now have it in our house and use it occasionally for this recipe.
Auntie Nonni has since passed on, but each time we make this recipe, I’m reminded of that time in her basement where she shared a piece of her with us. I hope to continue using and sharing this recipe in her memory.
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The recipe:
Serves 6-8 Ingredients: 4 Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes (ideally older) 1-2 cups of flour 1 tablespoon and ½ teaspoon salt 1 medium egg (room temperature) Instructions:
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3. On a flat surface mix together 1 cup of the flour and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Shape the mixture into a volcano shaped well.
4. Add the egg and a portion of the potatoes, and fold the flour inward to mix. Gradually add the rest of the potatoes and continue kneading until a soft dough forms, or until you believe it has the right “feel”. Add more flour as needed, or if a denser pasta texture is desired.
5. Lightly flour the working surface, and cut dough into a few smaller pieces. Then, roll dough into ropes and cut into 2-4 cm pieces.
6. Using either a traditional gnocchi basket, gnocchi board, or a fork, indent lines into each piece of gnocchi. If you happen to have a 100 year old gnocchi basket, use it by lightly flouring, then gently pressing and flicking each piece of gnocchi down the basket. After a few pieces have been formed, empty the basket onto your flat surface.
7. Sprinkle pasta pieces with flour and lightly toss around to avoid them sticking to eachother. In a pot, boil 6 cups of water with 1 tablespoon of salt and avoid crowding the pot by adding the pasta in small batches. Once the gnocchi floats to the surface, wait about a minute before straining. Alternatively, on a baking sheet with parchment paper and flour, freeze the pasta to cook at another time. (Frozen pasta will evidently take longer to cook.)
8. Serve with pasta sauce of choice (marinara sauce is typically used).
4. Add the egg and a portion of the potatoes, and fold the flour inward to mix. Gradually add the rest of the potatoes and continue kneading until a soft dough forms, or until you believe it has the right “feel”. Add more flour as needed, or if a denser pasta texture is desired.
5. Lightly flour the working surface, and cut dough into a few smaller pieces. Then, roll dough into ropes and cut into 2-4 cm pieces.
6. Using either a traditional gnocchi basket, gnocchi board, or a fork, indent lines into each piece of gnocchi. If you happen to have a 100 year old gnocchi basket, use it by lightly flouring, then gently pressing and flicking each piece of gnocchi down the basket. After a few pieces have been formed, empty the basket onto your flat surface.
7. Sprinkle pasta pieces with flour and lightly toss around to avoid them sticking to eachother. In a pot, boil 6 cups of water with 1 tablespoon of salt and avoid crowding the pot by adding the pasta in small batches. Once the gnocchi floats to the surface, wait about a minute before straining. Alternatively, on a baking sheet with parchment paper and flour, freeze the pasta to cook at another time. (Frozen pasta will evidently take longer to cook.)
8. Serve with pasta sauce of choice (marinara sauce is typically used).