“BELLISIMA” BASIL KID-MADE GNOCCHI + FIVE-MINUTE/FIVE-INGREDIENT TOMATO SAUCE + ITALIAN VANILLA BASIL SODA

Last week my niece Ella exclaimed she loves to cook. This was news to me, and music to my ears! We made these gnocchi together for dinner one night while I was visiting. Her whole family loved them, including her 3-yr old little sister.

Gnocchi are perfectly kid-friendly, and people of all ages seem to love their pillowy texture and shape. Total comfort food made with simple pantry ingredients. And this recipe is really a practice in using all senses. Smell the basil. Feel the dough. Listen for the water to boil. Watch for the gnocchi to bounce to the surface of the boiling water. Taste the flavors and feel the soft texture as you’re eating. As with all of the recipes we test, we try to imagine what the variable outcomes may be across a spectrum of ages and environments that make up our Sticky Fingers classes! It is SO fun to see the results when kids get involved! These gnocchi are likely going to come out rustic and in shapes of all kinds. We happen to find that charming. We called them “Bellisima,” which means “beautiful” in Italian. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder; and it can be seen in all shapes and sizes. With people. With gnocchi. With whatever we set our eyes upon!

-Happy + Healthy Cooking, Chef Erin & Chef Jacqui