Almost every evening, my daughter Emanuela finds a way to let me know what she wants to eat the next day. If she wants cannelloni, she leaves the oven door open. Or she pulls out the tuna and peas from the cupboard. If she wants gnocchi, the night before she pulls out the potatoes and flour — and the next day, clearly Thursday, we have gnocchi!
I'm 72 years old, and Emanuela is 43. She doesn't speak, but with a few gestures she makes herself perfectly clear. Above all, she wants to see me working around the house: cooking, folding laundry, running the washing machine, packing a suitcase to get ready to leave. Practically a mother-in-law: I can't sit idle for long. The remarkable thing is that Emanuela knows the days of the week perfectly — it wouldn't seem she could be aware of them, but anyone who knows her understands that she grasps everything around her — and she knows that on Tuesdays and Thursdays there are dentists who have their office on our landing. She never misses going to greet them, even now with masks and gloves. I often prepare lunch for them, and gnocchi are among their favorites on Thursday, made with a sauce of pork ribs (or with four-cheese sauce, the way I make them for my son when he visits from France). So on Wednesday evening, Emanuela pulls out the flour and potatoes, if she feels like it, so that the next day I won't forget to make gnocchi for all four of us — the two of us and our dentist friends nearby. Without home care or a day center to shelter from the coronavirus epidemic, I kept cooking much more than usual. Today, gnocchi for you as well!
Ingredients (serves 4):
For the gnocchi:
- 5-6 medium potatoes
- 1 egg
- 400g flour
- salt and pepper
- nutmeg
For the sauce:
- pork ribs or spareribs
- extra-virgin oil
- white wine
- tomato sauce (passata)
- one glass of water
Method:
For 4 people, boil 5-6 medium potatoes in salted water. When a fork pierces them easily, they're done. Once peeled and thoroughly mashed (with a ricer — you don't even need to remove the skin in that case — or a fork), mound them on a work surface like a volcano. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and one egg (as recommended by a aunt-in-law of Nunzia's husband who owned a restaurant near Lake Bracciano and made exceptionally good ones). Then add about 400g of flour gradually. You may need slightly more or less, but the dough should be soft and not sticky. Form it into a ball. Take a piece at a time large enough to roll into a cylinder about as thick as two fingers and at least twenty centimeters long. Cut into pieces about two centimeters each with a knife (or smaller, depending on preference). Place them on a generously floured tray, making sure they don't stick together. Cook quickly in abundant boiling salted water; they're ready as soon as they start to float.
For the sauce, definitely pork ribs: sauté a carrot, a celery stalk, and a medium onion, all finely chopped, in a little extra-virgin oil. Add the ribs and, once browned, deglaze with a glass of white wine. Once the wine has evaporated, add the tomato sauce (the sauce should cover the meat) and a glass of water. Let it cook for about an hour until the sauce turns a beautiful reddish-orange.
Four-cheese alternative: Melt gently over low heat or in a double boiler: two tablespoons of asiago in pieces, four tablespoons of Parmesan, two tablespoons of Gorgonzola, two tablespoons of Gruyère.
Either way — serve piping hot!!!
