Ñoquis

Ingredients

Gnocchi

• 1 kgfloury potatoes, unpeeled and of even size
• 250to 300 g plain flour, plus more for the board
• 1egg, beaten
• 1 tspfine salt
• 1 pinchnutmeg, grated
• 50 gReggianito, finely grated

Salsa fileto

• 800 gtinned plum tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 1onion, finely diced
• 1red pepper, diced
• 3garlic cloves, sliced
• 60 mlolive oil
• 1bay leaf
• 1 tspsugar
• a handful of basil leaves
• salt and pepper

To serve

• 60 gReggianito, grated
• a coin under each plate

Directions

1. Boil the potatoes whole in their skins in salted water for 30 to 40 minutes, until a knife slides in with no resistance. Cooking them whole keeps them from taking on water, which is the single biggest cause of gluey gnocchi.
2. Meanwhile make the sauce: soften the onion and pepper in the olive oil over low heat for 10 minutes, add the garlic for 1 minute, then the tomatoes, bay and sugar, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes until glossy and no longer watery. Season and add the basil off the heat.
3. Drain the potatoes, peel them while still too hot to hold comfortably, and pass them straight through a ricer onto a cool work surface. Spread them out and let the steam escape for 5 minutes.
4. Scatter over the salt, nutmeg, grated cheese and about two thirds of the flour, pour on the egg, and bring it together with a scraper and light hands. Add flour only until the dough stops sticking; it should still feel soft and slightly tacky.
5. Roll pieces of dough into 2 cm ropes, cut into 2 cm pillows, and press each one down the back of a fork or a gnocchi board so it curls and takes ridges. Lay them on a floured tray without touching.
6. Bring a wide pan of well-salted water to a gentle boil and drop in the gnocchi in two batches. They are done 30 to 60 seconds after they float, when they feel just set to the tooth.
7. Lift them out with a spider straight into the pan of warm sauce with a splash of the cooking water, and toss for 30 seconds so the sauce clings.
8. Serve with plenty of grated Reggianito, and, if it is the 29th of the month, put a banknote or a coin under each plate before it goes down.

Technique

• The tradition of noquis del 29 comes from Italian immigrant households: on the 29th, before payday, potatoes and flour were all that was left, and money under the plate is a wish for the abundance of the coming month.
• Weigh nothing about the flour in advance. Wet potatoes need more, dry ones less; the dough tells you when to stop.
• Overworking the dough develops gluten and makes the gnocchi bouncy. Fold and press, never knead.

Substitutions

• Noquis de ricota: swap the potato for 700 g well-drained ricotta and use only 150 g flour, for a lighter gnocchi that needs no ricer.
• No ricer: press the hot potato through a coarse sieve. A masher leaves lumps that never disappear.

Variations

• Noquis a la parisienne is the Buenos Aires name for the choux-based version, poached and baked under bechamel.
• In Rosario they are often served with pesto and a spoonful of cream stirred through.

History

Argentina’s version of Italian gnocchi, small dumplings made from potato and flour, developed through the substantial Italian immigrant influence that shaped much of Argentine cuisine following major waves of immigration during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Argentina maintains a specific and widely observed cultural custom of eating ñoquis on the 29th of each month, a tradition generally understood to have originated as an affordable, filling meal to help households stretch their budget in the final stretch before payday, with some diners also placing money beneath their plate for good luck, a custom called ñoquis con plata. Ñoquis remain deeply embedded in Argentine culinary culture, with that specific monthly tradition considered a genuinely distinct Argentine adaptation of the imported Italian dish.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ñoquis?

Ñoquis is a main from Argentina: potato gnocchi eaten the 29th with money under the plate. Argentina’s version of Italian gnocchi, small dumplings made from potato and flour, developed through the substantial Italian immigrant influence that shaped much of Argentine cuisine following major waves of immigration during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Argentina maintains a specific and widely observed cultural custom of eating ñoquis on the 29th of each month, a tradition generally understood to have originated as an affordable, filling meal to help households stretch their budget in the final stretch before payday, with some diners also placing money beneath their plate for good luck, a custom called ñoquis con plata. Ñoquis remain deeply embedded in Argentine culinary culture, with that specific monthly tradition considered a genuinely distinct Argentine adaptation of the imported Italian dish.

How long does Ñoquis take to make?

Ñoquis takes 40 min of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Ñoquis?

Yes, within limits. Noquis de ricota: swap the potato for 700 g well-drained ricotta and use only 150 g flour, for a lighter gnocchi that needs no ricer. No ricer: press the hot potato through a coarse sieve. A masher leaves lumps that never disappear.

What is the most important thing to get right in Ñoquis?

Overworking the dough develops gluten and makes the gnocchi bouncy. Fold and press, never knead.