Gnocchi for Abundance

When we travel, one of the things we learn is about food. I enjoy discovering new dishes to prepare at home, but mostly, I love learning the story behind these dishes: meaning, where they come from and their multiple variations. So today, I bring you my favourite: The Gnocchi of the 29th for abundance; its story and recipe.

By tradition, gnocchi is one of the most simple, easiest and cheapest Italian dishes to make. You only need flour, potato, water and you are done!

It was common to have them by the end of the month as a way to save a bit of money until payday. This is related to one of the stories about why you eat Gnocchi on the 29th and comes from Argentina. Why? This country happens to be a country with a great Italian influence, due to many Italian immigrants moving to Argentina to live and work in the 19th century.

It says that usually you get paid in the first few days of the month, so for many families, money was a bit tight by the end of each month. For this reason, it was common between families and neighbours to invite you for dinner –if they knew you were struggling– to share a meal of gnocchi on the 29th when they’d also put one or two gold coins to help you to get through the next few days.

On the other side of this tradition, In Italy, they have a similar explanation. During the war in Europe, people were having problems getting food for their families, so the government would give tokens to families to exchange them in the market. But because larger families will still struggle, especially by the end of the month, neighbours used to invite larger families over for gnocchi – considered the food of the poor in that period– and, under their plates, they’d put a token, so they could exchange it at the food market, and make it until payday.

That is relevant because the tradition says that you not only should have to eat gnocchi on the 29th for abundance, you need to put money –a note or coins, although I think these days,

a credit card will also do the trick ha ha ha– under your plate while you eat the gnocchi.

There is a second version of why you should eat gnocchi for abundance, which explains why it is on the 29th, precisely. In the 8th century, there was a young doctor named Pantaleon who travelled around Italy performing numerous miracles.

He was out of food one day when he saw a farm on the road on his many travels. He reached out to them to ask for food and, even though the farmers themselves were very poor, they still shared their dinner with him. Yes, I guess you can imagine what was the food at that table. In return, Pantaleon blessed the farmers with a great harvest in their future. The following year, the farmers produce the most profitable crop they’ve ever had.

According to the Christian religion, he was then canonised on a 29th, becoming Saint Pantaleon, one of the patrons of Venice.

All this story is making me hungry, so I think it’s time to get cooking! To prep some delicious gnocchi for 2 people, you will need:

INGREDIENTS

4 medium potatoes.

1 ½ cups of flour ( feel free to use the one you prefer)

salt and pepper to taste

egg ( optional)

water.

INSTRUCTIONS

• Boil the potatoes in water with salt for 20-25 minutes, or until you can easily pierce them with a fork. Here you can add as much salt as you want. I recommend no more than half a teaspoon. But again, this will depend on how savoury you like your food.

• Let them cool down for a bit, but they have to stay warm.

• Now, peel the skin from the potatoes. For this, you can use a peeler, or if you are like me, just use your fingers.

• In a bowl, put the potatoes and mash them until there are no lumps. Add salt and pepper and start mixing.

• After this step, you can add one egg and mix it only if you are an egg-eater. I don’t use it and it’s just as delicious.

• Add the flour and mix until you get a soft non-sticking dough. I recommend starting adding the flour slowly until you get the proper consistency.

• Divide your dough into 4 parts.

• Grab the first one and roll it out into a long rope. Slice the rope into ½ inch pieces ( slightly bigger than an almond, or if you like bigger gnocchis, please! Go for it!!)

• Repeat this step with the remaining dough. I recommend using all the dough. If halfway cooking them you realise it’s too much, you can always freeze the rest of the uncooked gnocchi.

• To get the right shape, grab a fork and slide the dough on top of the fork prongs, and you will get that curvy shape. These days you can easily find a gnocchi board online, but I prefer the traditional way; it takes longer, but it’s so fun.

• Grab a large pot and add water and salt. Once the water is boiling, start adding the gnocchi in batches.

• Stir gently so they don’t stick; boil until they float to the surface, then leave for extra 15 seconds and remove.

For the sauce, I will give you two options:

1.- In a pan, add butter or olive oil and some herbs. I like sage or basil. Add the gnocchi until it is slightly golden, and serve.

You can always add parmesan cheese on top. There are some great options in the market for vegan parmesan cheese.

2.- Chop small brown onions, carrot, mushroom and zucchini. I usually chop them really small but leave the mushrooms and zucchini slightly bigger.

Put them in a pan with olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs, and toss until they are golden.

3.- Then, add tomato base.

You can get this from the supermarket or make your own by putting tomatoes in a tray (approximately 4-5 tomatoes) with salt, pepper, garlic and oregano. Let it bake for around 30 minutes.

When they are baked, smash them with a fork.

Once you add the tomato-based mix, let them all cook for 15-20 minutes. You need to be adding water if the sauce is reducing too much, so keep an eye on it.

Lastly, enjoy your delicious gnocchi for abundance. Don’t forget to put your note under the plate!

Share your homemade gnocchi on Instagram and tag us!

Buon Appetito!