Making Italian Gnocchi with Grandma Paola

Published on Thursday, March 11, 2010, by Leslie Jonath, Eric Slatkin, and Blake Smith / Edit Post

Cooking with Grandma Paola

By Leslie Jonath, Eric Slatkin, and Blake Smith

Paola Bagnatori knows Italian food. And as managing director of the Museo ItaloAmericano, a museum in San Francisco dedicated to Italian and Italian American art and culture, she often teaches students her signature dish: Potato Gnocchi with Tomato-Porcini Sauce. With the help of her granddaughter, Isabella (who’s made this dish with her nonna a few times before), Paola discusses the proper preparation of dried porcini mushrooms, plays hot potato, and attempts to make her gnocchi in record time. This woman really is the Gnocchi Queen.

You know her by many names: YaYa, Nana, Bubbe, Gangy, Grandma. Cooking with Grandma celebrates family traditions. If you would like to nominate a San Francisco–based grandma for our series, please email Meredith Arthur with your contact information.

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POST A COMMENT |17 Comments

COMMENT

  • Does anyone know where you can buy the ladle she uses for draining the gnocchi!

  • Fun video! These gnocchi in this sauce look fan-flipping-tastic, I can't wait to try to make them. Great advice about rinsing the dried mushrooms, and how to roll them on the fork. Your Nonna is right, gnocchi do taste better without any egg, because egg tends to make gnocchi more rubbery. An egg helps bind the flour and potatoes together more easily, so beginners are advised if their dough is...+READ

    Fun video! These gnocchi in this sauce look fan-flipping-tastic, I can't wait to try to make them. Great advice about rinsing the dried mushrooms, and how to roll them on the fork. Your Nonna is right, gnocchi do taste better without any egg, because egg tends to make gnocchi more rubbery. An egg helps bind the flour and potatoes together more easily, so beginners are advised if their dough is too crumbly to add an egg, but true chefs make gnocchi with only potato and flour. Delicioso!-COLLAPSE

  • Ahhh! Thank you, Amy.

  • txgirl47, click on the words "Potato Gnocchi with Tomato-Porcini Sauce" written in blue in the above text. It is a link to the recipe. Enjoy!

    Amy Wisniewski, CHOW test kitchen

  • This may be a silly question, but is there a written recipe for this particular dish? Looks lovely.

  • Nonna's from Florence. Forza Toscana!!

  • Great video....very good teaching method....What part of Italy is Nonna from????

  • Thursdays in Rome is gnocchi day the roman's make their gnocchi with ricotta added to the potatoes they are lighter and have an interesting taste. I top mine with Ricotta salata (grating Type) boy what a meall

  • Chingale,
    I'm glad you enjoyed the video. My nonna does have some rabbit recipes; here are some comparable ones I could find online :
    http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Rabbit-Ragu-233984
    http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/rabbit-stew-with-olives-and-rosemary

    Have you made the porcini sauce yet?
    Cheers,
    Isabella

  • Wow- I wasn't hungry when I began your nona's video, but I sure am now! Love the porcini recipe; remarkable, simplistic, and downright gorgeous. Thank you for sharing this video. Does your nona have any rabbit recipes??

  • I like the no-egg feature ... gnocchi is simple to make and simple to eat.
    To refrain from complicating the most basic ingredients and procedure is to let the potato
    shine, as it is meant to. Likewise, that's why the gnocchi is coated with the sauce and not
    swimming in it. Even just olive oil and cheese is a tasty coating !
    Pastas can be made both with or without egg, just like gnocchi. The...+READ

    I like the no-egg feature ... gnocchi is simple to make and simple to eat.
    To refrain from complicating the most basic ingredients and procedure is to let the potato
    shine, as it is meant to. Likewise, that's why the gnocchi is coated with the sauce and not
    swimming in it. Even just olive oil and cheese is a tasty coating !
    Pastas can be made both with or without egg, just like gnocchi. The results vary and thus
    you have endless options and the opportunity to produce a product that is exactly the way
    you like it ... toothsome, delicate, bigger, smaller, etc.
    Inexpensive and readily available ingredients, simple and forgiving procedures that lend
    themselves to endless experimentation ... Great Stuff !-COLLAPSE

  • Clauchu,

    Sounds like you and your grandma would be great for our series! Are you based in the San Francisco Bay Area?

    Meredith of CHOW

  • magic!!

  • But I'm so confused about the no egg part. Even Lidia uses egg.

  • Beautiful! Making ñoquis with my grandma for sat lunch!

  • that looks UN. REAL.! I'm so making Gnocchi the next chance I get!

  • Another delightful entry to a perfect series of videos. My favourite feature on Chow.