Gnocchi from Val Varaita

The gnocchi from Val Varaita are a typical Piedmontese dish, and the traditional recipe requires simple yet high-quality ingredients to achieve the best possible result. Here’s how they are made:

Ingredients

• 1 kg of potatoes
• 300 g of type 00 flour
• 1 egg
• Salt
• 200 g of DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) Castelmagno cheese (or another blue cheese if not available)

Preparation

1. Start by boiling the potatoes, unpeeled, in lightly salted water. When they are cooked, drain and let them cool enough that you can handle them, then peel them.
2. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or a fork until you get a fine purée, avoiding the formation of lumps.
3. Transfer the mashed potatoes to a bowl and add the sifted flour, the egg, and a pinch of salt. Work the ingredients with your hands until you have a soft and homogeneous dough.
4. On a floured work surface, take pieces of the dough and roll them with your hands to form cylinders, then cut them into small pieces to shape the gnocchi.
5. Gently press each gnocco with a fork or with your thumb to give the typical grooved shape that will help hold the sauce.
6. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and when boiling, cook the gnocchi. When they float to the surface, wait another minute and then remove them with a slotted spoon.
7. In a frying pan, melt the Castelmagno cheese with a bit of the gnocchi cooking water until you obtain a creamy sauce.
8. Pour the gnocchi into the pan with the Castelmagno sauce and toss everything together for a few minutes to flavor the gnocchi.

Serve the gnocchi from Val Varaita piping hot, possibly sprinkling with more grated Castelmagno and a bit of black pepper if liked.

Curiosity

DOP Castelmagno cheese is a typical blue cheese from Piedmont and takes its name from the municipality of Castelmagno. It is highly appreciated for its creamy texture and intense flavor with a slightly spicy taste, making it perfect for dressing hearty dishes like gnocchi.