Gnocchi – aka potato dumplings – are big in northern Italy. My paternal grandmother, from Parma, used to make them and I would help her by swooshing them along the prongs of a fork, which is how you get the pattern on them if you make them at home. She made it look so easy so of course I thought it was easy.

It isn’t. I don’t try to make them now as it’s so dependent on things like ambient temperature, how much water the potatoes take up. Well that’s how I’ve found it anyway. Hard and with unpredictable results. So gnocchi is not something I try to make.

I originally got this from the now defunct Easy Living and, as time has gone on, I’ve adapted it and made sure it has more veg. My children love this.

 

This dish is so easy but so delicious. I thoroughly recommend it. It serves four.

This is what you need:

Olive oil

120g chorizo – but I never weigh it and just use what I have/fancy

1 clove of garlic, crushed

3-4 courgettes, julienned (I use a peeler from Lakeland), easy as.

350-500g gnocchi

Basil leaves to serve (not essential)

grated Parmesan.

This is what you do:

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan, everything in the ingredients list will end up in this pan so make sure it’s big enough. Add the chorizo and throw it around the pan for about 2 mins.

Have a pan of boiling, salted water on the go.

Now to the frying pan, add the garlic and courgettes and cook, stirring, for about 3 mins. Meanwhile cook the gnocchi according to the instructions (1-2 mins usually), drain when ready and then mix into the frying pan with the courgettes, chorizo etc. Mix and serve with sprinkled Parmesan and basil.