These little potato dumplings are delicious and are an alternative to pasta. Gnocchi that are freshly made by hand are just delicious. Light on the stomach and filling. I find gnocchi that you can purchase in supermarkets are dense and very heavy, this is how I was put off eating them as a child. They are nothing like the ones you can make at home by hand.

Making Gnocchi takes around 30 minutes. The reason why I love to make gnocchi and pasta by hand at home is that I really find it relaxing, I immerse myself completely into the cooking task ahead. This recipe is a basic one and you can add more flavours, spices, cheese etc into the potato mix. A great starter recipe for you to use.

They are best eaten fresh with a sauce of your choice. From a rich tomato sugo to a light and fragrant pesto, not forgetting lots of freshly grated parmesan or pecorino cheese.

1 kg peeled potatoes, maris piper
1 egg
250g 00 flour
Salt and pepper to season

1. Boil the potatoes until tender in salted water. Keeping the skins on will ensure the potatoes do not absorb to much water.
2. Once the potatoes are tender, drain them and allow the potatoes to cool for a few minutes. Peel the skins off the potatoes and discard the skins.  Mash or pass the potatoes through a potato ricer to ensure there are NO lumps. Put the potato into a large bowl. I now love my potato ricer, its amazing and you will NEVER have lumpy mash again.
3. Into the potato crack in the egg and add half the flour. Sprinkle in a little salt and pepper and work the mixture into a dough with a wooden spoon, then use your hands.
4. Lightly flour a board and work the remaining flour into the dough.
5. Separate the dough into workable portions and roll out each portion into long sausages and cut into gnocchi size bites, (the size of the top of your thumb is ideal).
6. Once cut to size keep them floured well so that do not stick, also ensure that they are separated.

Place into boiling salted water and cook for about 3-4 minutes until they rise up and float in the water. Drain and serve with a delicious sauce of your choice.

For more classes and information about cookery event please have a look at www.carmelas-kitchen.com

Carmela x