Montepulciano Memories Gnocchetti Tuscan Style

…fill the glass that is empty. Don’t ever leave a glass empty..don’t ever leave a glass full….

This week ,The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm wqw invited to be special guest of this year’s A Tavola Con Vino Nobile in the town of Montepulciano  that included tastings at local  wineries, tours of vineyards and local producers as well as a competition between  the local ‘contradas’..the sunflowers, welcomed us into Tuscany as we passed fields of them bowing to the sun…in unison..

Montepulciano was one of the cities that were built as a model for Firenze (Florence). the DeMedicis wanted to first test out their ideas on smaller cities and so Montepulciano was one of them with a smaller version of Palazzo Vecchio .and that was just fine for them since summers were spent here

Here I am with one of the vintners at Palazzo Vecchio Vineyard with a cluster of  their prized San Giovese grapes
Gnocchietti Tuscan Style

Pasta ingredients:
water
flour
pinch of salt
1 egg
4 potatoes
Sauce:
garlic, basil, oregano,
cherry tomatoes
pinoli nuts
extra virgin olive oil
pinch of salt
Mash together the garlic, basil, oregano. Add in chopped cherry tomatoes and add in an abundant amount of olive oil, pinch of salt and pepper. Let this marinate.
In the meantime, boil the potatoes and mix with some flour, water and pinch of salt. Add in 1 egg to pasta and more flour if dough is too sticky. Form this mixture into gnocchi. Dust with semolina flour. Cook gnocchi in a large pot of salted water. Serve with the fresh herb and tomato sauce. Top with aged pecorino cheese.
**COOK WITH 5 STAR CHEFS AND THE BASIC  ART OF ITALIAN COOKING BY MARIA LIBERATI tm in ITALY, limited space:
http://www.efoodys.com/chef-academy-italy/8-days-maria-liberati-italian-cooking-holidays
email: events1@marialiberati.com for more info
For more recipes, watch for more posts from Montepulciano and Tavola Con Vino Nobile and get your copy of  the Gourmand World Award Winning book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking:Holidays and Special Occasions- 2nd edition