Similar to many Americans, I challenged myself in the kitchen because of the abundance of time on my hands. I have always been mesmerized by videos of Italian grandmothers rolling fresh pasta, so I decided to try my hand at making gnocchi. Before making them myself, my knowledge about this simple potato dumpling was very limited. In fact, I thought the rolled exterior was a bit off-putting because it reminded me of a slug. Thankfully, my first attempt was a success and I have made at least five batches during the months I have been home. Up until now, my family has never had a food tradition where we all make a dish together, but lately I have involved my mother and sister, too. I taught my sister how to make the dough and then we invited my mother to help roll the gnocchi. When we were done, my sister, who is a complete cooking novice, had great satisfaction from sharing one of her first homemade dishes with our grandmother. With all of this in mind, I chose this recipe partially because my family loves it and partially because of sheer convenience. I had all the ingredients and I had some leftover meatloaf, which was at risk of going bad. In many ways, this recipe is the product of the pandemic. The gnocchi itself is only made of three ingredients, all of which are cheap and readily available. The sauce gives new life to leftovers and is open to substitutions. The pandemic highlights all these qualities.

The merits of this recipe play to the challenges of the pandemic. To begin with, this recipe is incredibly economical. Hordes of employees have been laid off or lost their jobs, so many people are searching for ways to minimize their expenses. Shoppers can buy a sack of potatoes, a carton of eggs, and a bag of flour for about ten dollars. This supply is enough to make multiple batches of gnocchi. It is extremely filling, which facilitates feeding an entire family for very little money. What’s more, the ingredients are all pantry staples. This aspect of the dish aids in the effort to minimize trips outside the house. Since this dish is starch based, the raw ingredients last for long periods of time without spoiling. Another benefit of this recipe is that you can buy the ingredients in bulk, which is often cheaper. Additionally, in terms of time commitment this recipe gives cooks the opportunity to involve their family members. Americans are spending unprecedented amounts of time at home with loved ones. Rolling the gnocchi is the perfect chance to bring everyone together around the table to talk. Lastly, this recipe encourages improvisation and using what is on hand, especially for the sauce. Regarding the gnocchi, any type of potato will work. If you do not have any standard potatoes, try using another starchy root vegetable, such as sweet potatoes or yams. If you ate meatloaf and mashed potatoes the night before, use the leftovers to make this dish! For the sauce, my family always has a half open jar of tomato sauce and some sort of vegetable in the fridge.

This dish is meant to be adaptable and flexible. These are two essential traits to hone during this pandemic. Life is throwing a ton of challenges at us, and it is up to us to turn global tragedy into something bearable. I want people to see the potential of a seemingly dull ingredient and extend that mindset to daily life. By sharing this recipe, I hope to comfort people by way of family style food and remind people to make the best out of what they are given.