Traditional Italian legend has it that, by eating gnocchi on the 29th of the month with money under the plate, you will attract luck and fortune!
Did you know that gnocchi is one of the oldest pastas in Italian cuisine? But, more special than that, gnocchi can bring luck and great fortune to those who consume the delicious European dish every 29th. The famous fortune gnocchi, also called lucky dumplingsis a very old legend, but to this day many people follow it in order to attract luck and money.
Gnocchi is a dough made from cassava or potatoes, cooked and mixed, mainly, with few ingredients, including water, salt, egg yolk, tapioca starch or wheat flour, until it creates the consistency of a dough that can be served. with several different sauces.
However, for many, gnocchi is much more than a delicious Italian dish. It is synonymous with tradition, luck and abundance, which you will learn shortly.
History of Fortune Gnocchi
So, legend has it that in the 4th century, exactly on December 29th, a Catholic saint called Saint Pantaleon was walking through the streets of a village in Italy, poorly dressed full of rags.
Certainly, this Catholic Saint was very hungry and, because of this, he knocked on the door of a very humble family asking for food. The family in question didn’t have much food to offer, but they still invited the Catholic saint dressed in rags to come in and eat at the table.
However, the food was none other than gnocchi, but there were few gnocchi to serve, so the family divided exactly seven pieces each, and that was everyone’s dinner meal.
As soon as Saint Pantaleon finished eating the gnocchi, he thanked him and continued on his way through the winding streets. However, to the family’s surprise, the supposed wanderer had left a lot of money under the plate as a thank you for the meal.
So, the gnocchi meal on the 29th of every month became a true Italian tradition, much repeated in the State of Paraná. Since then, every 29th of the month is Gnocchi della Fortune (or Lucky Gnocchi) Day!
Lucky ritual
The tradition followed since the 4th century is based on following some steps of Saint Pantaleon during the meal. In short, on the 29th the family must prepare delicious gnocchi, place a sum of money under the plate and eat the first seven pieces, fulfilling a wish. Then, you must save this money until at least the 29th of the other month and repeat the action, so that there will be eternal prosperity in your home.
Delicious recipes
1. Fortune gnocchi with cassava and ricotta sugo
Ingredients:
- 1 ovo
- 1 ½ cup wheat flour
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 medium onions
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 3 tablespoons of salt
- 7 tomates grandes
- 8 tablespoons of oil
- 350 grams of cassava
- 500 grams of mashed ricotta
- Wheat flour for sprinkling
- Fresh basil to taste
- Parmesan cheese to taste
How to prepare the sauce:
First, put the tomatoes, two cloves of garlic, salt, an onion and salt on the fire to cook for about 30 minutes. Then remove from the heat, blend in a blender and pass the mixture through a sieve. Afterwards, brown the onion and garlic in soy oil, add the tomato mixture, basil leaves and cook over low heat until it reaches the desired consistency.
How to prepare the gnocchi:
Cook the cassava with salt and little water. Once they are softer, squeeze them and wait for them to cool, add them to the ricotta and mix. Then add the rest of the ingredients and knead until everything is homogeneous. On a floured surface, shape the dough into small rolls and cook with salt until they reach the consistency of gnocchi. Serve with tomato sauce, basil and grated Parmesan cheese.
Fortune Gnocchi with Buffalo Mozzarella and Lemon Freeze
Ingredients:
- Potatoes (1 kg)
- One egg yolk
- 1 onion
- Cup of wheat flour (1)
- Cup of parmesan tea (1)
- 1 teaspoon of nutmeg
- 100g wheat flour
- 2 liters of milk
- 5 tablespoons of butter
- 400 grams of buffalo mozzarella
- Juice and peel of 2 free-range lemons
- Salt to taste
Preparation mode:
First cook the potato and once it is ready, mash it with flour, egg yolk and salt. Then make gnocchi balls and set aside. Take the mozzarella and cut it into small cubes, add them to the middle of the gnocchi and close the dough with the cheese inside. For the sauce, sauté an onion with butter, add flour and gradually add milk. As a result, the sauce will start to thicken, then it’s time to add the parmesan, lemon, check the salt and add the nutmeg. If necessary, strain the sauce through a sieve. Finally, mix the sauce into the gnocchi and bake for 20 minutes until browned.
Cassava fortune gnocchi with mushrooms, tucupi and goat cheese
Ingredients:
- 420g cooked cassava
- 60g catupiry cheese
- 50g grated parmesan
- 3 excited
- 30g sweet cassava starch (or enough to bind the dough together)
- 120g mustard leaves
- 120g sliced okra
- 160g assorted and sliced mushrooms
- 120g sweet grape tomatoes, cut in half
- 120g grated goat cheese (feta type)
- 200g of Tucupi
- 40g unsalted butter
- Olive oil to taste
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Coriander to taste
- 500g of nhoca
Preparation mode:
To make this dish, you first need to cook the cassava until it can be mashed. Then, place the mashed cassava, cottage cheese, cheese and egg yolks in a container, mixing until the dough begins to take shape, then adding sweet cassava starch little by little until it gains consistency.
Then, bake the dough in a greased pan for about 15 minutes. Then, let it cool and cut them into gnocchi shapes and brown them in the pan. Once done, add the okra, mushrooms, and finally, the tomatoes with a drizzle of olive oil. The mustard leaves can be thrown on top, only when it is finished. Also add the tucupi, season to taste and stir so that the ingredients mix.
In a deep dish, place a layer of cheese, then the gnocchi with sauce and finish with cheese and coriander to make it even tastier.
Sources: NSCTotal, Território do Vinho, WickBold, GSHOW, Famiglia Facin.
Images: O Globo, Somos Assim, Itália Viagem, Tudo Gostoso, Uol, Gaúcha ZH.
