Passion 4 Pasta: Struggling with potato gnocchi? Here's my recipe...but it's not fail-proof

Parmesan cheese, or Parmigiano Reggiano, is one of Italy’s most famous cheeses, with the production process remaining unchanged for centuries.

Parmigiano Reggiano is officially classed as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) product by the European Union; therefore it can only be legally produced in the regions of Parma, Reggio Emilia and parts of Mantua and Bologna.

Parmigiano Reggiano is a hard, aged cheese, and regulations state it must be matured for a minimum of 12 months, but it is at its best if left to mature for a full 24 months.

It is this dedication to traditional processes and using only the highest quality ingredients that ensures the most superior crumbly, hard Parmigiano Reggiano is produced.

Potato gnocchi –

Gnocchi di patate

Comfort food, filling and the perfect base for many seasonal sauces. These elongated gnocchi are a little opulent and offer some warmth and comfort especially through the cooler months, yet equally, when dressed with a light sauce, they pair perfectly to make an early evening garden supper a little special.

It can be difficult to provide you with a fail proof potato gnocchi recipe that effectively works every time, due to many factors. The type of potatoes used, moisture and how much water has been absorbed by the potatoes. That said, here is my recipe. I have opted to boil the potatoes with their skins on, however you can bake or even steam them in their entirety if preferred. Serves 4.

Preparation time: 35 minutes to include resting time

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Potato gnocchi

400g potatoes, boiled with skins on, then riced

1 large egg (optional)

Salt and pepper, to season

150g – 180g of 00 flour

Parmigiano Reggiano cream

80g butter plus an additional teaspoon for the sage dressing

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 large banana shallot, peeled, finely sliced

1 garlic clove, peeled, finely sliced

600ml double cream

250g Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

Salt and pepper, to season

¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

4 slices speck, sliced thinly

8 fresh sage leaves

Place your riced potatoes into a large bowl, add the egg and season with salt and pepper. Combine fully with a wooden spoon.

Gradually add the flour until you have a pliable dough. You might not need all the flour, then again you may need a little more.

Knead the potato dough for 2 minutes. Be careful because overworking may lead to a heavy, glutenous dough.

Portion the dough into 6 pieces.

Roll each portion into a long sausage and cut into 1.5cm nuggets.

Flour your hands and roll each gnocchi in-between your palms. If you prefer, you can simply roll a piece of dough down the prongs of a fork or using a wooden gnocchi board.

Place each rolled gnocchi on to a clean tea-towel or tray, dusted with a little semolina flour.

Put the butter and extra virgin olive oil into a medium heavy-based saucepan.

Over a medium heat, tumble in the chopped shallot and fry gently for two minutes to soften.

Add the sliced garlic and fry for one minute before pouring in the double cream. Reduce the heat so that you do not scorch the cream.

Season with salt and pepper to your specific taste and add a little freshly grated nutmeg.

Sprinkle in the grated Parmigiano Reggiano and stir. Simmer the sauce for 10 minutes.

Into a dry frying pan, add the sliced speck and fry until crispy. This will take 4-5 minutes or so.

When you have one-minute left to cook the speck, add the sage leaves and an additional teaspoon of butter. Stir to coat the sage leaves.

Boil the gnocchi in a large pan of salted boiling water. When they bob to the surface, give the gnocchi a further 2 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, place the gnocchi into the Parmigiano Reggiano cream sauce. Stir carefully to coat.

Spoon the gnocchi on to warmed plates and scatter over a little pan-fried speck, crispy sage and a generous scattering of Parmigiano Reggiano.