96yr old Isolina makes gnocchi with basil pesto! | Pasta Grannies

[@Loulou-sr3tk]

96 years old, unbelievable. She looks a lot younger, in good shape, still living in her home, Bravo, Isolina.

[@elaineblackhurst1509]

True, but she’s a woman so it’s ‘brava’.

[@Loulou-sr3tk]

@@elaineblackhurst1509 in english, bravo is an interjection, who means , well done, so, it is still bravo, Isolina.

[@tekashto]

@@Loulou-sr3tk the tradition for many English speakers is also to use brava, but it's not a grave offense if that's not how you grew up saying it.

[@marymartin-q2y]

​@@Loulou-sr3tkI just googled the meaning of interjection, stick to brava

[@savesoil3133]

Quite awesome! #SaveSoil

[@johnupdate]

putting olive oil and water in the gnocci dough instead of an egg is one of those „pasta-granny-tips“ I love this channel for😀👍

[@wmitry]

G,2🎉🎉,

[@remconet]

These women never cease to amaze me. Having lived such full but hard lives. And probably never complained because it was just the way it was. So much respect.

[@GetFitwithNatasha]

spot on.

[@AgentAO7]

I hope somebody would gift her a bigger mortar. She was so young when her dad died, and with that, she was forced to work at an early age. But look at her.. 96, and still kickin’! ❤

[@emmylou-y4b]

Isolina lives in her home; walking up several flights of stairs. No wonder she's in such good health; home cooking and staying active. These gnocchi with basil pesto look amazing. Thank you, Vicky!

[@guguigugu]

activity is the guardian angel of health

[@pastagrannies]

I'm glad you enjoyed meeting Isolina. And yes, her gnocchi were amazing.🙂🌺 best wishes, Vicky

[@agadirallo7919]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ريحة pesto وصلت حتى أكادير بالمغرب .

[@DianaAmericaRivero]

Some cooking blog said recently that adding olive oil to your pasta water is a "waste of an ingredient." Well, cooking blog, if it's good enough for Italian nonnas, it's good enough for me!

[@fratom8385]

Fresh gnocchi are more "risky", especially those ones made without eggs. store-bought dry pasta needs no olive oil in the boiling water, true. 😊

[@michaelashby2130]

But the gnocchi/pasta never come in direct contact with the oil . . .

[@katelijnesommen]

For dried pasta, it's generally not necessary (though of course you can do it if you have access to olive oil easily as it's certainly the case in Italy). For freshly made pasta or gnocchi it can help to separate them a little more easily while cooking, although the most important thing is not to overload your cooking pot. So that blog is partly right, but it's not a big deal and people do it their preferred way in Italy as well. Just don't add expensive extra virgin oil to your water, that definitely would be a waste.

[@kushunegi]

This granny spreading her unconditional love...she is really cute 🥺🥺✨✨✨🌈

[@LS-fs6nc]

incredible!96 yars old!God bless her! 💗

[@NextGen48]

I love how she goes: „good enough to eat“. Those will probably be the best gnocchi anyone would ever have. Haha

[@solino2002andrea]

Hi Vicky, thanks for this video. It reminds me when I was a kid, and my grandmother used to make us (my brother and I) gnocchi during summertime. With basil pesto (prepared at the moment as your guest did) or with original fontina valdostana. I remember basil smell and flavor, perfectly. A dish that always put a smile on our face and we never got tired of. She learned to prepare pesto because they left Piedmont countryside and lived in Genova for a short period of time, then they come back because my grandfather couldn’t live without doing agriculture. Now one of my uncle grows basil into some barriques split into two halves (as vases) so he can keep them repaired by rain (watering just the soil, not leaves), in order to avoid parasites and diseases without spreading any treatment. My other uncle keep that basil, makes a lot of pesto and immediately freeze it in glass micro jars (single portions), so we have kind of fresh pesto during all autumn , winter and spring. It a great time saver, a healthy pasta dressing, and a joy for my taste buds. That’s a perfect crossover between simplicity and taste/smell perfection. I could eat it almost every day. Have a nice summer.

[@pastagrannies]

Hello Andrea, what great food memories and traditions your family has. I like how making pesto is a group effort! I haven't heard of using fontina valdostano in pesto, but I bet it's delicious. Is that a family tradition or is it more generally in the Aosta valley? I'll have to film it! 🙂🌺 best wishes, Vicky

[@solino2002andrea]

@@pastagrannies Sorry, I didn’t wrote it correctly, probably. I meant that she used to put parmigiano and/or pecorino grated cheese into her basil pesto, and sometimes she used to dress gnocchi just with (melted) fontina, when we had it available in the kitchen. Both were super simple and delicious. Anyway, it’s a disaster here: I keep eating and eating and I can’t loose a pound. How can you explain that?😅

[@pastagrannies]

I missed the 'or' Andrea, my apologies. Anyway, both are delicious as you say! I was looking for another excuse to return to Val d'Aosta. I read somewhere that a fat tummy is a 'Buddha Belly of Happiness' and given the joy of Italian food, I think it's a good description! best wishes, Vicky

[@misolowy3929]

All the cooking shows are about slicing onions, but this one is about life and people. And yes, it has the best recipes!

[@mementoanima]

it is just about cooking with the heart ❤

[@mariapepper6175]

Thank you, Vicky for letting us dream of Italy and our wonderful Pasta Grannies! Another terrific video.🙏❤

[@pastagrannies]

hi Maria, I'm glad you enjoy the videos 🙂🌺 best wishes, Vicky

[@lauracolby6038]

I couldn’t have resisted a taste of that divine-looking pesto either, Vicky!! She made the gnocchi look easy to make! God bless her! Oh! That copper ladle/strainer! As always, I can’t wait for the next episode!

[@pastagrannies]

I'm glad you enjoy the channel and this episode Laura! 🙂🌺 best wishes, Vicky

[@WTPFirearms]

This show is one of the few things in life that bring me straight joy. Maybe that's bad, but I really enjoy these people. I would love to see more about their local regions and towns.

[@st.joanne]

Because they are “the salt of the earth “

[@RobertPorterNZ]

What do we need to do to get her a replacement larger mortar and pestle? I can't describe how frustrating it was to have her sharing so much knowledge to us and know someone has stolen from her

[@ArtfulDodger-d2p]

I know 😑

[@scottamori3188]

Another episode to brighten my day. I really cannot believe that Isolina is 96 years old. You can never have enough basil! Thanks for another great episode.

[@pastagrannies]

The basil is a good reason to move to Liguria! best wishes, Vicky

[@marisamarcelli1335]

It’s such a pleasure watching this lady. You know is the real thing!

[@gdwlaw5549]

And this is why living in Europe , keeping traditional cooking is just great !

[@albarjas8360]

Traditional cooking exists not only in Europe...

[@rudolfschenker]

Oh my goodness I am so hungry for gnocchi genovese, this must be a fantastic treat from Isolina. Thanks for making sure we all get to see it.

[@jcagra2012]

I swear watching this video i can smell the basil. I am really loving this channel, when I was a child the only way I could chat with my mother was if I stood beside her in the kitchen while she was cooking, we were quite poor and she did everything from scratch, Spanish food. This channel reminds me of that. I love Italian food, the authentic food just like you see on this channel prepared by these ladies. They clearly love their families and work very hard to make good food for them. Thank you so much for making these videos.

[@pastagrannies]

Thank you for sharing your memory. I hope there is a Spanish equivalent of Pasta Grannies recording traditional abuelas recipes! best wishes, Vicky

[@ireallywantedtolivethruthe80s]

Love Isolina’s humor! Touching and beautiful story, can’t imagine all the ones left untold ❤

[@pastagrannies]

Yes, Isolina has had an interesting life 🙂🌺 best wishes, Vicky

[@ramencurry6672]

Excellence

[@freudvibes10]

​@@pastagranniesyour blue jacket though...such a cutie!

[@trinitywright7122]

Right? Oh to spend the day with a person like that and hear it all

[@bohorquezcristina]

For a 96 yr old she looks incredible healthy!❤

[@edwardkornuszko4083]

God bless Isolina!

[@meghnamehta7694]

I cant believe she is making pesto by pounding it rather than using a mixer. Inspiring! God bless

[@lllllsuzlllll]

Just made this Isolina' pesto recipe! And i can say the fresh 1st taste of the pounded mixture vs the 2nd rounds when i put it inside the mixer is not the at all the same thing anymore :') Isolina knows best 💕

[@lindapogorzalski8854]

Ach was ist die Dame süß. Und sogar das Pesto mit dem Mörser gemacht und das mit 96 Jahre. Toll. Der beste Kommentar war:"sie sind gut genug zum essen. 😂 Heute Abend gibt es Gnocci mit Pesto bei uns. Danke für das Video ❤

[@memyselfi3915]

E l Italia che tutti noi amiamo...adoriamo... Salute a la nonna e a Vicky.

[@pastagrannies]

grazie 🙂🌺 best wishes, Vicky

[@АйшатИнг]

Какая молодец, восхищаюсь Вами❤️. Пусть Всевышний оберегает вас.

[@diego.bastos]

Quando ela disse "O gnocchi esta pronto" involuntariamente eu bati palmas aqui também!!! Realmente sua simpatia é contagiante!

[@ransomcoates546]

Isolina is the first nonna who seems sad. As she described it she had a hard life. ‘Dio ti benedica, Isolina!’

[@trinitywright7122]

I just found this whole program last night and it is just wonderful. This woman and the other women and their stories and the things they've done and the artifacts that they have from their family. You know heirloom treasures and the recipes and their abilities in their '90s!! I just can't say enough good things. I can say I wish I had been there to taste that❤

[@gatorpatric0]

I think is my favorite one ever. The brightness in this women's eyes is mesmerizing.

[@vicarofrevelwood]

I needed to see a real Italian woman make real gnocchis. Just so I know that what I've learned is correct. Thank you it looks wonderful.

[@EmperorMingg]

Madame Isolina bears a striking resemblance to my paternal grandmother, although of Scottish origin, and I thought I’d seen a ghost. This video was more comforting than usual for me, thanks so much!

[@pastagrannies]

That's true - Isolina's lovely complexion is quite Celtic. 🙂🌺 best wishes, Vicky

[@Not-surprised]

That is the most beautiful pesto I have ever seen ❤ Grazie.

[@artycrafty9209]

Vicky Isoline's amazing gnocchi looked so very tasty indeed, gnocchi looks very easy to make but are in fact extremely difficult to get that just perfect soft and pillowy texture, don't ask me how I know😬 the balance of potato to flour is very important and Isoline's skilled eye knows exactly, the same with the kneading, just enough I am sure she would say. Bless you all for another enjoyable time in the real professional kitchen😉. Ramon x.

[@pastagrannies]

hi Ramon, you are so right! It takes practise and paying attention to the process to get the flour/potato ratio 'just so'. 🙂🌺 best wishes, Vicky

[@artycrafty9209]

@@pastagrannies 👍.

[@corinnecepeda7063]

Nothing could be more rustic with this recipe. Beautiful ❤

[@AaronSpielman]

This is one of my all-time favorite dishes.

[@silvyrosenbeck9944]

Danke, danke liebenswerte Oma😋👍‼️So eine liebe Oma möchte ich auch haben👍‼️Bitte gebt ihr ein Küsschen von mir👍‼️Das sie noch lange lebe👍‼️Und ihr Wissen noch vielen weiter gibt👍‼️Ich habe noch nie Gnochi gegessen, erst recht nicht mit 😅. Ich war auch noch nie in Italien. Aber ich habe mich in diese Liebe Oma verliebt und werde zur Erinnerung an sie, dieses Essen machen😋👍‼️ 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️🇩🇪🇩🇪🇩🇪

[@dodelphi]

The gnocchi looked so delicious with that beautiful pesto. Brava Isolina and good heatlth for many years to come!

[@pliny8308]

Every step is important. Use floury potatoes. (In America I use big russet potatoes.) Cook whole. ALWAYS use a ricer after peeling. No egg. Isolina is the real deal! :) I'm not sure of her proportions of flour to potatoes. As she says herself, they're going to be hard, instead of soft and pillowy if there's too much flour. My mother would rice the potatoes and then add flour until dough is not sticky, being careful not to knead it too much, which, like adding an egg makes them tough instead of soft and pillowy.

[@pastagrannies]

you had some great memories of your mother 🙂🌺 best wishes, Vicky

[@ziminamaryana]

I thought there should be something wrong with my way of cooking it. I cooked potatoes already peeled 😂 so it all was rather like a lump than nice gnocchi from the video)

[@josipagudelj1998]

Bellissima Isolina, tanto spiritosa....un saluto da Croatia!

[@PaulMcGuinness]

Grazie Isolina - Loro sembrano molto gusto. I love the honest hard-working humility of these nonne, and am so jealous that Vicky gets to spend to much time chatting with these interesting and talented grannies ❤

[@pastagrannies]

hi Paul, I always say I have the best job in the world! 🙂🌺 best wishes, Vicky

[@evelyntakeda3232]

Não consigo assistir 😢 me emociono de ver as mãozinhas dela descascando a batata. Que coisa mais linda! Lembrei da minha avó, que saudade dela ❤

[@davisd_ambly4067]

Magnificent. brings back memories of my Nonna.

[@skippymagrue]

I helped make lots of gnocchi when I lived in Argentina. So delicious!

[@ArtfulDodger-d2p]

Loved seeing this. I'm partial to using blenders, but it's nice to see everything done manually.

[@VerhoevenSimon]

Such a lovely lady, thank you for sharing the whole experience.

[@federicade6382]

"Si lasciano mangiare" (good enough to eat) is suuuuch an Italian grandma expression, especially when they cook the most freaking amazing meal! My mum who's turning 70 next year is starting to use it too, I guess it comes with age 🤣

[@pastagrannies]

So true!!

[@ElevateTheProcess]

Every time I watch a Pasta Grannies video it feels like I won the lottery!💕

[@pastagrannies]

that's good to hear, thank you 🙂🌺 best wishes, Vicky

[@whiskeychicken]

Caring for a knife that long is beautiful, and such a contrast with the disposable and next best thing mentality of today.

[@attiaasif2533]

One more fabulous episode and waiting for the next exciting episode good and unique work keep it up❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@monaroshanzamir]

What a sweet lovely amazing lady she is ❤

[@SBVancouver]

Si lasciano mangiare! That exactly what my dad used to say when he really liked something. That really brought a smile to my face and shows her humbleness.

[@clarissasyllaba9149]

Wow! All by hand and she doesn’t wear glasses ❤😊❤😊

[@shirleyjhaney1041]

We all wish she was our grandma. ❤

[@joanies6778]

This looks amazing! I cannot wait to try it. 😋

[@ludovicomassa4506]

Per favore, date tipo un nobel a ogni signora protagonista di ogni singolo video?????

[@brodygaston6053]

I've seen Italian cooks break pasta in half before cooking, and add olive oil to cooking water. But Italian food know-it-alls in the USA insist that you can do neither.

[@Serendipity1977]

Fantastica, signora Isolina! Questi gnocchi hanno un aspetto davvero incredibile. 😍😍😍😍😍😍

[@jaymathews356]

Isolina is absolutely beautiful! Those eyes.

[@Endovelicus91]

Respect for a woman that doesnt fear a huge blade. Mom doesnt like to cook when she comes over. All the knives in my kitchen are big...

[@rolfingegypt2209]

Amazing woman. She does not look her age. It gives such hope for healthy longevity. And those gnocchi…. Mama mia! They look delicious.

[@MrAstygmatyk]

Voi siete bravissima, Signora❤❤❤ Gli gnocchi sono ottimi!!

[@Darscm]

Fantastic as always. I’m inspired to make gnocchi

[@CrowSkeleton]

Drooling over the field-fresh basil and amazing gnocchi made to look utterly effortless with 80-odd years of experience...I feel the production team really has to start rolling with the unwritten laws of hospitality and eating some of these dishes first, though, the grannies always look so concerned/confused when made to do the for-camera taste.

[@pastagrannies]

It's Isolina's way and sense of humour! I promise I never make our ladies to do anything they don't want to do. I'd rather thought it was boring for viewers to always have me to do the eating at the end, but happy to. It's in everyone's job descriptions: eat everything if offered. So we all sat down to a lovely plate of gnocchi. 🙂🌺 best wishes, Vicky

[@healingasthmaacasestudy9851]

I just found this channel! Thank you so much for sharing this valuable knowledge

[@samanthabirkett4819]

What a great woman ❤

[@ОльгаПруссова-ч4и]

Дай Бог так выглядеть и так бодро готовить в 96!!))) Эта потрясающая женщина видимо достойно прожила жизнь!

[@DRATS-qh2bj]

Super Signora Isolina, ca fé i curzetti a zenoes! ❤️🌹

[@almaponce7639]

Hermosa, ella dice,,, todo me gusta cocinar, bendiciones por siempre le de Dios

[@N1CH0LAS007]

God bless nonna Isolina I'm gonna try making some fresh gnocchi it looks amazing 😋

[@suzannevega2289]

Thank you Isolina💞💞

[@katielouieschwartz]

Another gorgeous recipe. Looks delish.

[@kelamram]

Salivating. I grew up with a drunk mom and frozen tv trays. Thankfully my children do not. I want an Italian grandma.

[@Eva_and_Itamar]

If I could like this video a thousand times I would😄She's such an inspiration

[@Sintrania]

That gnocchi looks so good, I can’t wait to tried making one.

[@betsyteutsch9399]

Maybe it's heresy but I make gnocchi with dehydrated potatoes, which are dirt cheap and really convenient. Fun to see Isolina doesn't bother with a gnocchi board - just a plain old fork. I brown the gnocchi with sage in butter.

[@harakoutalou6868]

Isolina is a Hero of life ☺

[@noeldsouza4267]

Isolina is a legend,

[@myhomeanddreamgarden]

Yes I love harder gnocchis and I cook them often my mums way . Isolina did fantastic work 🌈

[@niagara6015]

Isolina.looks loke she was a beauty in her youth. She has nice eyes.

[@Tantejay]

My niece loves pesto. And now I know how to teach her a proper one :)

[@yannickmoka1891]

Bravo Madame !... ❤

[@nealieanderson512]

Isolina is amazing! Wish i could eat those!!

[@asmajelassi2803]

Lovely ❤❤❤

[@Getpojke]

Isolina seems remarkably healthy for 96. She's got a lot of years on me but I reckon she'd beat me up those three flights of stairs. When you were talking about the scent of the basil in the polytunnels I could just imagine it. I had a greenhouse for a while & I remember bringing on a load of tomato & basil plants. I'd quite happily sit in there for a while reading at the end of the day, drinking in the aroma that the plants had given off on a sunny day. Such a shame her pestle & mortar were stolen, I imagine they were irreplaceable to her. It's horrible when a well loved item that you've cherished gets taken. That platter of gnocchi with basil pesto looked scrumptious, would be lovely to delve into. I notice she didn't use pepper? Is that a regional thing or am I just a pepper fiend who loves it on most dishes? Also is the rising price of pine nuts affecting traditional Italian cooks do you find? I've certainly been looking at alternatives or ways to pad them out. Looking forward to the panissa next week, rice, beans & sausage...whats not to love. Brilliant as always, thanks to you, your team & the Grannies. James. 🍝

[@pastagrannies]

hi James, I rarely see black pepper being used, although this week's 'panissa' has it. I think more 'modern' cooks add it because recipe writers have got into the habit of stipulating salt and black pepper. Personally I'll opt for a knife tip of chilli if the dish calls for a whisper of warmth and sparkle. Yes, pine nuts are expensive - especially the Italian, real deal, ones. But Ligurian cooks have always been comfortable using other nuts if pine nuts aren't available or have to be bought. 🌺 🙂 best wishes, Vicky

[@Getpojke]

@@pastagrannies Thanks Vicky, that's really interesting, I suppose salt & pepper have become the default table condiments in the West. I suppose as well that with the Roman empire famously liking pepper ( long pepper, grains of paradise...etc) & using it in about 75% of their surviving written recipes I assumed it was more prevalent today than just cacio e pepe. I'm a bit of a pepper nut, having a large selection of different types stored in their own grinders. (First time guests are often amused or perplexed why I have so many pepper grinders in the cupboard). Although I like the heat of pepper, I'm not a huge chilli fan. I do like Turkish Urfa biber/isot pepper though, it has a mild, smoky taste with an almost raisin finish. Harissa paste gets used a fair bit too. Maybe because choice of named chilli varieties being relatively new in UK stores I just haven't got my head around them yet? I used to be able to eat whole raw chillies as a teen, then went right off them & couldn't stand the effects for years? I am coming 'round to them again though. Good to hear that the price isn't affecting their cooking too much. I used to forage, roast & store a lot of cobnuts/filberts/hazelnuts at my old house as there were so many growing wild. They work surprisingly well in things like pesto. Sorry, rambling on again. James.

[@pastagrannies]

James, I think for the women we film the starting point is what's available locally? and pepper is something that is imported, even if it's been around since Roman times. Of course in Calabria and Abruzzo, they were enthusiastic adopters of chilli peppers thanks to the ease with which they grow. (Had a Jack Russell who adored cobnuts, cracked them open with her teeth, woofed them all if she could). best wishes, Vicky

[@themovingintosleepmethod]

Good food & good sleep, those are some of the ingredients from the recipe of long life!

[@AMM-1817]

Would love if you could travel to Umbria to find some Pasta Grannies. That’s where my family is from! ☺️☺️

[@МарияШвец-ш5у]

The true secret of long life is making pasta!

[@sashakovec]

Bellissima Isolina!

[@grouchosaidit5454]

Fabulous!

[@Alice_Walker]

Yummmm! 💜 Thank you so much

[@sans2domicilefixroberts428]

👍 Great 💞 😊

[@vineetagogia2050]

Hats off to. Great recipe

[@farmingirl4281]

I hope you gifted her a nice new big mortar 😊

[@mariateresaambrosio445]

Bravissima❤

[@ciuciu106]

Bravissima Isolina, mi ricordi tanto la mia adorata zia Pia, che faceva i gnocchi favolosi come i tuoi, adesso lei é in Paradiso e mi manca tanto❤🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@belleomalley1022]

Tried it. Tastes so good my eyes rolled back and my husband asked if i wanted to be alone with the pasta lolol

[@christianeaspacher9043]

Veramente delicioso! ❤