Gnocchi

This recipe has not been made in a very long time and I recall the outcome was nowhere near the perfect little gnocchi pillows that are depicted. These days, I just purchase the store bought versions and dress them up with a creamy sauce.

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds (about 4) russet potatoes
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 to 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • Sauce options: Alfredo, Creamy Pesto, Pink Sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Scrub potatoes, pierce the skin with a fork, drizzle with olive oil and salt and place in the microwave. Cook for 8 minutes (2 minutes per potato) or use your microwave oven’s Potato setting. Allow the potatoes to cool slightly then peel the potatoes while they are still hot and press them through a potato ricer. Put the potatoes in a large bowl with salt, nutmeg, baking powder, grated cheese and egg white. Add the flour a little at a time and mix with your hands until the mixture forms a rough dough. Do not over-work the dough. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Gently knead the dough for 1 or 2 minutes until smooth, adding a little bit more flour, if necessary, to keep it from sticking.

Break off a piece of the dough and roll it back and forth into a rope, about the thickness of your index finger. Cut the rope into 1-inch pieces. Gently roll each piece down the prongs of a fork while pressing a small dimple with your finger in the back. The gnocchi should be slightly curved and marked with ridges. This will allow the pillows to hold sauce when served.

Boil the gnocchi. The gnocchi are done about 2 minutes after they float to the surface, remove with a slotted spoon. Note: If the gnocchi start to feather and fall apart in boiling water, you need more flour. If the gnocchi don't float after 2 minutes and are hard, you used too much flour.