Potato and parsley gnocchi recipe

If you have a bit of time to spare, it's worth making your own gnocchi - gorgeous Italian potato dumplings and fresh parsley sauce from Woman's Weekly.

Ingredients

• 1kg (2¼lb) potatoes, eg, King Edward, scrubbed
• 1 large egg
• 4 level tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 250-300g (8-10oz) plain flour
• 60g (2oz) butter
• Freshly shaved Parmesan and sprigs of parsley, to serve

Method

1. Place the unpeeled potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Remove from the heat and rinse the potatoes under running cold water to cool them, then drain well. Scrape off the skins. Mash the potatoes well until very smooth. Stir in the egg, parsley and seasoning. Mix in enough flour to give a firmish dough that isn’t sticky but is still soft enough to hold together.
2. Divide the potato mixture into four and roll out each piece to about 2-3cm (¾-1¼in) in diameter, then cut into 1.5cm (½in) pieces. Roll each piece into an oval shape and press against the back of a fork to texture it. Lay the pieces out on a lightly floured tray, so that they don’t stick to the work surface.
3. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add the gnocchi. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until they start to rise to the top of the water. Drain the gnocchi into a colander.
4. Add the butter to the hot pan and heat it until it bubbles. Add the gnocchi and turn them to coat them in butter. If liked, cook them for a few minutes in the butter, turning them regularly so that they start to turn slightly golden. Grind some black pepper over the gnocchi and serve straight away, with shavings of Parmesan on top and parsley sprinkled over.