Nettle Gnocchi

To prepare the nettle green gnocchi, start by boiling the potatoes: place the red potatoes in a large pot, cover them with plenty of water 1 and turn on the heat; once the water boils, count about 40-50 minutes, you should be able to pierce them with a fork. The cooking time may vary depending on their size, and you can also halve the time by cooking them in a pressure cooker. In the meantime, prepare the nettles: it is recommended to wear latex gloves to protect your hands from any residual stinging substance left on the stem and leaves. Pick the nettles, removing the stems and keeping only the leaves 2. Soak the nettle leaves in cold water, rinse them carefully 3.

and drain them well 4. Then move on to cooking: heat 0.7 oz (20 g) of oil in a pan, add the washed nettle leaves 5, stir for a few moments, then add the water 6.

and let them cook covered with a lid, stirring occasionally, for about 6-8 minutes. Once wilted and softened 7, transfer them to the tall glass of an immersion blender 8 and blend them 9.

You should obtain a smooth cream 10. Let it cool and prepare the sauce: in a saucepan, heat the olive oil with the garlic and let it infuse for 2 minutes, then add the tomato puree, salt, and let it cook on low heat for about 30 minutes until it has reduced. Once cooked, remove the garlic clove 11, turn off the heat, and start preparing the gnocchi dough. On a work surface, sift the flour (you can hold back slightly on the dosage to add it as needed) and mash the cooked potatoes still hot in the center 12.

Make a well and pour the egg in the center 13, a pinch of salt, and the blended nettles 14. Knead by hand 15, quickly, just enough to compact the dough: do not work it too long to avoid making the gnocchi hard.

When you have obtained a soft but homogeneous dough 16, sprinkle the work surface with semolina flour, then divide the dough into pieces to shape into logs about 1 inch thick 17; Cut the logs into pieces with a dough scraper 18 or with the blade of a slightly floured knife.

Roll the pieces on a gnocchi board lightly dusted with semolina flour, applying light pressure with your fingers to achieve the classic ridges 19. If you do not have a gnocchi board, you can use the tines of a fork to give the same shape. As you form the gnocchi, place them on a cloth dusted with semolina 20. Now proceed with cooking: bring plenty of salted water to a boil in a pot; then add a few gnocchi and cook for a few minutes, they will be ready when they float to the surface 21.

Then, scoop them out with a slotted spoon to transfer directly into the pot with the tomato sauce 22. Continue cooking the gnocchi this way; then toss them quickly to flavor 23. Serve them sprinkled with grated salted ricotta cheese 24 and serve your nettle gnocchi hot!