Gnocchi is a thick dumpling most commonly made from potato. It can be made from other ingredients like semolina, wheat flour, bread crumbs as well. Gnocco in Italian means lump.

I came across this recipe by Shreyas Goenka while watching a show on NDTV Good times. I was amazed at seeing such a young boy make Gnocchi and drop-dead gorgeous cakes with such ease.

I’ve never tried making pasta from scratch. May be I was just too lazy or always had a packet of pasta ready at hand. This recipe sounded interesting as it had some elements that were different from what the usual pasta contains like mashed potatoes and cheese. I did not have basil leaves so I used dry mixed herb powder instead (a combination of basil, rosemary and thyme). Also, I used tomato puree instead of the fresh tomatoes. I was getting restless and hungry but those of you who try your hand at this one please use fresh tomatoes.

One important point that I think was missed out in description of this recipe is that the Gnocchi cubes once cut out need to pushed off the teeth of a fork so they become curled and indented. Just hold your fork out, place a Gnocchi piece on the base end of the teeth and roll the Gnocchi off with mild pressure so that indentations are formed on it. Oil your fork after making 4-5 Gnocchis. I remember Chef Shreyas showing this procedure during the show. He also mentioned that this helps in cooking the Gnocchi uniformly. Here is Chef Shreyas’s Recipe.

This Italian Main Course Dish is my entry to AWED – Italian hosted by Culinary Bazaar.

I received the Brillante award from Sukanya of

Thanks so much Sukanya for your encouragement. I would like to pass it on to…
Alka of sindhi rasoi