How to prepare Basil Gnocchi

• Let’s start preparing the basil gnocchi, boil the potatoes with their skins, or peel and slice them into wedges and steam them, or bake them in foil in the oven. I usually steam them in a pressure cooker for 20 minutes from when the pot starts to whistle; this way they don’t absorb water and the gnocchi will absorb the right amount of flour and stay soft.

• Once you have cooked the potatoes, mash them while still hot and place them directly into a bowl. Take the basil leaves and chop them finely with a knife, or you can use a parsley chopper, pour the chopped basil into a small bowl and add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, mix well and then pour everything into the bowl with the mashed potatoes.

• Add the flour and a pinch of salt to the bowl with the potatoes and basil, first mix with a fork and then knead well with your hands to obtain a compact and homogeneous dough, as you will see it will turn green.

• Place the dough on a floured surface, form ropes, and cut them with a knife. I advise you, for practicality, not to make them too big. Then roll the gnocchi on the specific tool for making grooves, or on the tines of a fork. Melt the butter in a skillet.

• Bring water to a boil, salt it, and add the gnocchi a few at a time. When they float to the surface, scoop them out with a slotted spoon and place them in the skillet where you melted the butter. Proceed in this way until all the gnocchi are cooked. Once all the gnocchi are cooked, mix well and serve on a plate. If you like, add a sprinkle of grated cheese.