The best Italian potato gnocchi recipe (gnocchi della Val Varaita).

Make the gnocchi dough.

1. Scrub the potatoes clean and cook whole and unpeeled in salted water until soft.
2. While you are boiling the potatoes, sift the flour, beat the egg in a small bowl, grate the Toma and cut the Raschera into small cubes.
3. Drain the potatoes, cut a small slice into each one and let them cool a little. Peel the potatoes and pass then through a potato ricer or food mill into a bowl. or mash with a fork. (I don't peel my potatoes when using a ricer as the peel usually stays inside the ricer).
4. Turn the potato out on to a flour dusted surface. Add the grated Toma cheese to the potato and a little salt and some freshly ground mixed pepper.
5. Then, make a well in the middle and add the beaten egg. Using a fork or scraper bring the potato and cheese from around the edges into the centre where the egg is.
6. Once the egg is incorporated into the cheese and potato, start to add flour a bit at a time and mix and knead gently with your hands until you have a soft dough. Don’t overwork the dough to avoid activating the gluten in the flour.
7. The dough should feel light, slightly elastic, and a little tacky. It won’t be as smooth as pasta dough and may look a bit rough. If your gnocchi dough feels too soft and sticky to handle, add another tablespoon or two of flour. You may not need to use all the flour. It will depend on how ‘wet’ the potatoes are.

Shape the gnocchi.

1. Once the dough is ready roll it into a ball and let it rest covered for at least 15 minutes. Then cut off a piece of dough about 150g (5oz) in weight.
2. Lightly flour your hands and roll the dough into a rope about 1-1.5 cm thick (½-inch). Cut the dough rope into 2-3cm (0.75-1in) pieces. Then roll the pieces one at a time between the palms of you hands without squashing them until you have a longish tapered shape.
3. Place the ready ravioles (gnocchi della Val Varaita) onto a tray covered with tea towel or piece of baking paper dusted with semolina flour or all-purpose flour. Make sure the gnocchi aren’t touching so they won’t stick together. You may need to prepare 2 trays.  Repeat with the rest ofthe gnocchi dough.

Make the cheese sauce.

1. Melt the butter in a pan that’s large enough to hold the gnocchi too. Once the butter has melted, add the Raschera cheese pieces. Keep stirring until the cheese really begins melting. Then add the cream and continue stirring until you have a smooth sauce.

Cook and serve the gnocchi.

1. Put a pot of water on to boil for the gnocchi. Once the water starts boiling add a little salt, bring the water to boil again then gently place gnocchi in the water. You may have to cook your potato and cheese gnocchi in batches as you don’t want to crowd the pot.
2. When the gnocchi rise to the surface of the water, taste one and if cooked (no residual flour taste), remove them from the water using a slotted spoon and add them to the sauce. Cook the rest of the gnocchi the same way. Finally save a ladle ofthe cooking water.
3. Mix the cooked gnocchi with the sauce and a little of the cooking water over a very low heat. Then serve immediately dressed with grated Parmigiano or browned butter.

Make browned butter.

1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and cook until it starts to brown. Pour a little of this butter over the gnocchi once plated and ready to serve.