Gnocchi, the recipe of which was favorably received by the cuisines of not only European countries, is deservedly popular. The reason is simple: the ease and variety of cooking options allow this miracle of cooking to become both an everyday and a festive dish.
The ingredients of the European "boot"
Italian gnocchi can only conditionally be called such, because they owe their origin to the culinary specialists of Ancient Rome. At that time, their main components were semolina dough and eggs. But the penetration into Europe after the discovery of America of new vegetable crops made significant adjustments to the classic recipe. Today, potato gnocchi is very popular with both housewives and chefs of elite restaurants.
This dish, in its modern sense, is considered conditionally vegetarian. That allows you to actively use in their preparation pumpkin, eggplant, artichokes, spinach, tomatoes or mushrooms. Conventionality in the classic version of gnocchi, the recipe of which will be described below, is made by eggs, cheese, as well as chicken.
Cultural mix
Potato gnocchi are considered the traditional look of this dish. Their advantage in comparison with other recipes of Italian cuisine is that they are extremely simple both in cooking and in what they consist.
So, to make gnocchi for a family dinner, you will need a kilogram of potatoes, five hundred grams of hard flour and an egg. Such a simplified composition is explained quite simply: the dish was invented by simple farmers, sometimes lacking a rich assortment of products. The cooking time is also determined by this circumstance: it will take only forty minutes to cook for your family gnocchi.
The recipe for cooking is as follows. All potatoes are thoroughly washed and boiled in a peel. Then it should be cooled to a temperature at which the tubers can already be held in hands. Then they get rid of the "uniform" and rubbed.
As soon as the whole kilogram is turned into a single mass, an egg, salt and flour are added to it. All are thoroughly mixed with hands, achieving a complete absence of lumps. The result should be a kind of potato dough that does not stick to your hands.
The resulting mass is divided into four equal parts, each of which should be rolled into a bundle with a thumb thickness. Then it is cut into small pieces about three centimeters wide.
The resulting dumplings should be dipped in boiling salted water and cook until cooked. Typically, this process takes about five minutes.
Little tricks
Gnocchi, recipe which was presented above, can be easily transformed. And you should start with a list of ingredients.
So, instead of potatoes, the housewives use cottage cheese or pumpkin. Or they complement the classic set of products with boiled finely chopped mushrooms, chopped spinach, broccoli, baked eggplant or boiled chicken.
Instead of hard flour, you should try corn or "return to the roots" and use semolina.
In addition, you can serve gnocchi on the table not only with butter, but also use various sauces, such as bechamel or tomato, garnished with grated cheese.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that it is advisable to always cook the gnocchi prepared according to the above recipe immediately after their formation. But if there are more of them than necessary, then you can freeze them by first shifting them to a dish sprinkled with flour.