Gnocchi or gnocchi with tomato sauce. Gnocchi on the 29th

How to prepare gnocchi for day 29 .

There are a few days left to end the month but I want you to know the custom of eating gnocchi on the 29th of each month .

A tradition widespread in the southern cone, especially in Argentina and Uruguay, both countries being the destination of a large Italian immigration in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

On the blog you can find how to prepare homemade gnocchi and also the recipe for authentic Bolognese sauce , a combination that is successful in Argentina and that I want you to know first hand.

There are many versions of this recipe, the most widespread and well-known says that some farmers shared their food on July 29, some simple potato gnocchi , with San Pantaleón. 

The saint rewarded them with an abundant year of fishing and excellent harvests, although it sounds more like legend than true history. A more probable origin places them in a town in Piedmont (Italy) around the year 1690.

The total loss of the wheat crops changed the way of feeding their farmers during those years. The potatoes that used to be fed to animals were the salvation of a certain famine.

Since then they meet on the 29th of each month (Holy Patron Day) in the main square to thank the harvests and eat different recipes with potatoes, including the famous gnocchi.

But without a doubt the current history speaks more of more of its economic price and of the crisis. The 29th is one of the last days of the month, low-income people who receive their salary at the beginning of the month have no money other than to eat cheap recipes, including  gnocchi with tomato sauce .

Tradition requires everyone to be sitting at the table with full plates and before starting to eat, place money (bills or coins, depending on the power of the family) under each plate to attract luck, prosperity and plenty of abundance the following month.

In some houses at the end it is customary to give all the money to the neediest of the guests or to the hostess for the preparation of the gnocchi for the following month. It seems to me a great tradition that I wanted to share with all of you, I hope you like it.

Preparation of gnocchi with two possibilities of sauce

In today’s recipe I have summarized the preparation of gnocchi, if you do not want to miss any detail of the step by step or know tips and tricks, be sure to visit how to prepare homemade potato gnocchi .

1. We wash the potatoes well and cook them without peeling in abundant boiling water. Approximately between 20-25 minutes, depending on the hardness of the potatoes and their size.
2. They are cooked with their skin to prevent them from absorbing water during cooking.
3. After time we prick the potatoes with a fork or similar to check if they are already done. We remove from the casserole and let them rest 10-15 minutes to be able to handle them without risk of burning.
4. Peel them and put them back to cool another 10 minutes more. With a mash or fork, mash the potatoes to make them a homogeneous puree. It is important that there are no lumps.
5. We flour the table or the counter where we go to work with the ingredients.
6. With the puree we make a volcano and in the hole we add the salt, a little ground nutmeg (to taste) and the beaten yolks of two eggs.
7. We are mixing with the fingers little by little. We incorporate the flour in small amounts. We continue mixing and kneading with our hands adding the flour we need.
8. Depending on the humidity of the potatoes, we may need more flour to achieve the final texture.

Final presentation of the gnocchi on the 29th

1. We must achieve a homogeneous mass, without lumps or hard parts. This must be flexible, soft and that we do not find difficulties to knead it. We make a ball and let it rest for 10 minutes.
2. We separate a little dough and with the help of our hands we spread it out making a cylinder. This we will cut into portions (which will be the gnocchi) of 2 cm. of size.
3. We repeat the process with more portions of dough, until completely finished.
4. After all the process is finished we are going to give you the simple finishing touch.
5. In a saucepan with boiling water and salt we are pouring gnocchi in small amounts. For example 10 in 10, so they have enough space and do not stick together.
6. At first they will go to the bottom of the pot.
7. After a while, we will check that they rise and begin to float on the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon and repeat with the rest of the gnocchi.

And they will be ready to add the sauce that we like the most. I recommend a simple homemade tomato sauce or if you have some budget at the end of the month, an Italian Bolognese sauce . Simply delicious, what a great tradition!