On the second Sunday of Advent, I enjoyed to make potatoes gnocchi at home, introducing some variations on traditional local recipes.

In particular, to the basic mixture for gnocchi (made of excellent red potatoes coming from the mountains of Calabria, one egg and some semolina flour) I added chopped parsley and a generous handful of grated “pecorino” sheep milked cheese for preparing inviting tasteful croquettes. I dipped them in smooth creamy batter made of plain flour and milk and then rolled the croquettes in breadcrumbs in order to have them crisp on surface, soft fragrant inside.

Instead of frying, I opted to bake the croquettes in the oven (180°C for 10/15 minutes) to have a light appetizer, served warm with a creamy sauce made of tasteful leaves of Catalonia chicory.

At this proper, I cooked the leaves of Catalonia chicory into boiling salted water and after straining the green vegetables, they were sautéed in a pan with some extra-virgin olive oil, a clove of garlic and a zest of hot pepper. Then, I made a sauce of them using a blender.

In the end, I splashed cooked gnocchi using the same green sauce and I sprinkled soft pecorino cheese on top of the dish.

My wish for a good start in the new Advent week to everybody 🎄✨