Gnocchi
Every Italian needs gnocchi, I mean really.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups of OO flour
- 2 cups of riced Yukon gold potatoes
- 1 egg and 1 egg yolk, mixed thoroughly in small bowl with a fork
- 1 to 1 1/2 tbsp of kosher salt for water to cook potatoes
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil for water to cook finished gnocchi
- 1/2 cup of flour, placed in small bowl, for hands and work surfaces
Directions
Preparing Gnocchi
1. Add water to a medium pot, with about a TBSP of salt. Set aside 1-2 half sheet pans with sheets of floured parchment.
2. Peel 2-3 three medium sized Yukon gold potatoes, rinse and cut into quarters. Add to pot and turn heat to medium/high or high. Cook until potatoes are fork tender.
3. Drain water. Using a potato ricer, rice potatoes onto a sheet pan or plate in thin layers so heat and steam can escape quickly. Let cool for 5-7 minutes.
4. Add the 1¼ cup of flour to a large mixing bowl, then add 2 cups of loosely packed riced potato to the flour and mix thoroughly with a fork.
5. Find a large surface (I like our drawer sized wood cutting board), and sprinkle with flour and rub in with your hand. Dump the flour/potato mix onto you work surface.
6. In the center of this pile (which should only be about 2” at its thickest) make a shallow divot, and pour the egg mixture into the divot.
7. Using a pastry knife, gently incorporate the mix – do not over do it – then use the knife to create a rough ball shape. Then quickly wash your hands and pastry knife.
8. Flour your hands, and use the pastry knife to pick up the ball, and gently finish the ball adding dash of flour if needed. Set aside and scrape the work surface with pastry knife.
9. Once clear, flour surface and gently roll ball into a cylinder that is about 2 inches thick and a foot long, then cut into 6 smaller pieces using the pastry knife.
10. Roll out the small pieces (you’ll have to sprinkle work surface with flour now and again) into rolls that are about a 1/2” thick and 6” long.
11. Once rolled out, use the pastry knife to cut into ¾”-1” pieces. Slightly pinch pieces as you pick up and transfer to sheet pans, leaving space between each one.
12. You can either freeze the gnocchi to use later, or use immediately.
Cooking Gnocchi
1. Have your red sauce, cream sauce, pesto sauce, whatever you would like to use, heated and ready to go.
2. Add water to large pot, with about a TSP of salt and two TBSP olive oil, bring to boil. Also, have a large sauce pan on low heat with 2 TSP olive oil.
3. Quickly add 20 to 30 pieces of gnocchi at a time. When they float, they are done. Use a large slotted/mesh spoon to transfer the gnocchi to the sauce pan to keep warm.
4. Once you have cooked all the gnocchi, add your sauce to the gnocchi and mix it in gently but thoroughly.
5. Serve on plates or shallow bowls, optional topping additions of grated parm and chopped fresh basil are highly encouraged!