Four-cheese gnocchi

To prepare the four-cheese gnocchi start by cooking the potatoes. Place them in a large pot and cover with plenty of cold water 1. As soon as the water boils continue for another 30-40 minutes, depending on their size. Test them with a fork and if the tines reach the middle without difficulty, your spuds are ready to be drained. Peel them while they are still hot and immediately mash them on the flour piled on the work surface 2. Next, add the lightly beaten egg together with a pinch of salt 3

and knead everything with your hands 4 just until the dough is soft but firm 5. Try to handle the dough as little as possible otherwise the gnocchi will become hard while cooking. Take part of the dough and roll it out with your fingertips in a cylindrical shape, about 3/4-inch (2 cm) thick 6; to make it easier, sprinkle the pastry board from time to time with semolina flour.

In the meantime, cover the remaining dough with a cloth to prevent it from drying out. Cut the rolls into small pieces 7 and with the light pressure of your thumb drag them over a gnocchi board to obtain the classic shape 8. If you don't have a gnocchi board, yuo can use a fork and drag them over the tines; here, too, use semolina flour to prevent the dough from sticking. As you prepare the gnocchi, place them on a tray with a lightly floured cloth, well spaced apart. Cut the Gorgonzola cheese into small pieces 9.

Do the same with the Casera, Fontina and Emmentaler cheese 10. Heat the cream in a saucepan, then pour all the cheeses in chunks (11-12) and cook over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent lumps from forming and to help the cheese melt.

Once the 4-cheese sauce is ready 13, you can boil the gnocchi in plenty of water; cook them for 2-5 minutes and as soon as they rise to the surface, drain them with a skimmer and pour them into the pan with the 4-cheese sauce 14. Mix very gently so as not to break them, season with black pepper to taste and serve immediately your four-cheese gnocchi 15.