Maria was born in the alpine town of Trento, nestled in the Trentino-Alto Adige region of northern Italy – where the air is crisp, the cows are happy, and the potatoes grow with purpose. And that purpose? To become gnocchi in Nonna Maria’s kitchen.

Her mother, Teresa, was a snowy-haired matriarch who believed every decision should be made over gnocchi. Her father, Vittorio, was a cheesemaker who wore an apron like a badge of honour and treated cheese like treasure. Between the two of them, Maria was destined to become the most comforting force this side of the Dolomites.

Her Traditional Potato Gnocchi are soft, pillowy, and so perfectly textured they’ve been compared to “clouds with ambition.” She makes them by hand – always with love, and using only starchy white potatoes that have “lived a full, earthy life.” Served with a sage-butter sauce or a rich ragu, they’ve earned her a place in every family’s Sunday memory.

But then came the twist: her Pan-Fried Cheese Gnocchi – crisp on the outside, molten on the inside, and completely unhinged in the best way. She developed the recipe by accident (there was wine, a broken pot, and a surplus of Parmesan and Pecorino). The result? A crunchy, gooey, golden miracle that became her late-night specialty and a cult favourite at the village festa.

Maria says:

“Gnocchi are like grandchildren – soft, a little messy.”