Potato and Parmesan Gnocchi

Serving: 15

This is a super tasty dish that is worth the effort, you can buy gnocchi but its not the same as home made. This is the type of dish that you can make in advance, once everything is done you can easily pull it together for a superb lunch.

Ingredients

2Ib 10 oz      Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, and cut into large even sized pieces

12 oz           Bread flour

1oz              Parmesan, grated

3                  Egg yolk

10oz            Mushrooms

2                  Courgette

2                  Williams pear, cut into matchsticks

2oz              Chives, chopped

1                  Lemon

4 fl oz          Olive oil

Instructions

1. The first job is to make the gnocchi, if you haven’t tried gnocchi before you are in for a real treat.
2. The first thing is to get the potatoes on to cook, when you are cooking potatoes that will be getting mashed it’s very important that you keep the potatoes quite large and even, if you cut the potatoes up too small they tend to break up and create loads of starch giving you a rubbish mash.
3. In a large pan cover your cut potatoes in cold water, add a good pinch of salt.
4. Slowly bring to the boil, once the potatoes come to the boil get the heat down so that the water is on simmer.
5. You need to cook the potatoes until you can insert a small knife easily into the potato, once cooked pass the potatoes through a colander.
6. Allow the potatoes to steam out in the colander, this will get rid of loads of water.
7. After a few minutes return the potatoes to a dry pan and “dry out on the stove”
8. Next you are ready to mash, you have a couple of options, you could use a potato ricer if you have one, or a Mouli grater, two amazing tools, if you don’t have ether a potato masher will get the job done. The important point for this is that the potato must be mashed whilst it is still hot.
9. Next put your potato into a large bowl add the egg yolk and the grated parmesan then start working in the flour and with your hand incorporate enough flour until you get a workable consistency. You might need more or less of the flour as it depends on how much moisture the potatoes have
10. Next take some of your mix and with a little flour roll out a long sausage shape, cut into even sized pieces add a little indentation with a fork.
11. Cook in boiling salted water until they float, probably about a minute, you might have to do this in stages make sure you don’t over crowed the pot.
12. Once ready remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon and refresh in cold water.
13. To make the dressing mix 3oz of olive oil with the juice of half a lemon season and put to one side.
14. In a large frying pan with a little oil fry your gnocchi until you create a golden crust, remove from the pan and add your mushrooms, you might need to add a little more oil.
15. Meanwhile griddle your courgettes, if you don’t have a griddle you can panfry with the mushrooms.
16. Add your gnocchi back into the pan and add a few teaspoons of herb dressing and a squeeze with lemon.
17. Top with some raw pear and serve. 

Notes

The gnocchi can be made in advance cooked and frozen. The vegetables could be cut and prepared in advance.

Gnocchi can be used in any pasta recipe.