Gnocchi are an Italian classic. They’re like these small, soft pillows made from potato and make a PERFECT meal. Doesn’t that sound awesome? Making pasta can seem hard but I promise gnocchi won’t give you any trouble! One of the great things about them is that they sort of tell you when they’re done, so you cannot get the cook wrong. Today, I decided to stick to the good old classic: gnocchi and peas. And, to take it up a notch, I *tried* to crisp them up to get a warm, golden colour crust. This was my first time making gnocchi, so I wouldn’t say it was perfect. I definitely could’ve gotten my gnocchi way crispier but nevertheless, it was a good first attempt for me.

Gnocchi

Gnocchi:

• 4 medium potatoes
• 1 1/4 cups of flour
• 1 large egg, beaten
• A pinch of salt

Start by peeling the potatoes and plunging them into cold water. This’ll help get rid of the excess starch. Boil some water in a pot and add the potatoes. Let the potatoes cook until you can insert a knife into them easily. Remove from the water and place in a bowl, then cover with a dish towel for about 5 minutes. This steams them, making them fluffy.

Put the potatoes through a ricer to get them mashed. Alternatively chill the potatoes and grate them finely. Make sure not to mash the potatoes into a glob. Keep them fluffy. Transfer the potatoes onto a cutting board/ into a bowl. Add the flour, salt and beaten egg. Gently mix, making sure not to press hard.  Once the dough is formed, divide it into four portions using a bench scraper. Work with one portion at once and roll the dough into a log a little less than ¾ inch thick. Using a bench scraper, cut the log into bite size portions, each about 2-2.5 cm long. To a pot of boiling water, add a few pinches salt and slid the gnocchi in. Once the gnocchi rise to the top, they’re done. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

To finish:

• 3-4 tablespoons butter
• ½ cup boiled garden peas
• Dried rosemary flakes
• Salt
• Pepper
• Lemon zest
• Parmesan cheese

Add the butter in a pan. Once the butter starts to foam lightly, start adding the gnocchi. Make sure to get each side crispy before turning over. Add peas, salt, pepper, dried rosemary to taste and toss. Finish off with lemon zest and freshly grated parmesan.

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