Gnocchi di malga

Mountain-style gnocchi is a much-appreciated traditional dish, especially in the alpine regions, where malgas, or mountain farms, produce fresh, quality ingredients. Here is a recipe for making Italian-style gnocchi di malga:

Ingredients

• 1 kg of potatoes
• 300 g of type 00 flour (plus a little more for processing)
• 1 egg
• Salt to taste
• Nutmeg (optional)
• 200 g of butter
• Fresh sage
• Grated malga cheese (such as Fontina, Asiago d’allevo, or similar)

Preparation

1. Wash the potatoes and boil them in salted water until they are soft.
2. Once cooked, peel the potatoes while they are still hot and pass them through a potato ricer or vegetable masher.
3. On a clean work surface, create a volcano with the flour and at the center add the mashed potatoes, a pinch of salt, and, if desired, some nutmeg.
4. Add the egg to the center and start kneading until you have a homogeneous mixture that is not too sticky (add more flour if necessary).
5. Divide the dough into parts and roll them into cylinders about 2 cm thick, then cut the cylinders into small pieces to form the gnocchi.
6. Optionally, give the gnocchi their classic shape using a fork or a gnocchi board.
7. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the gnocchi until they float to the surface (about 2 minutes).
8. Meanwhile, melt the butter with some sage leaves in a skillet.
9. Drain the gnocchi directly into the skillet with the melted butter and sage, and sauté them briefly to flavor.
10. Serve hot with a generous sprinkle of grated malga cheese.

To personalize the recipe, you can vary the type of cheese according to the local mountain farm products you prefer. Additionally, for a richer version, you can add crispy pancetta or speck to the seasoning.

Trivia

The secret to perfect gnocchi lies in the choice of potatoes: preferably use yellow-fleshed and floury ones. Another tip is to work with the potatoes while they’re still hot and use just enough flour to obtain a dough that can be handled but remains relatively soft.