Gnocchi
6-8 servings
4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 3/4 to 2 cups flour
3 quarts water
spaghetti sauce, warmed
Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain and mash. Place 2 cups mashed potatoes in a large mixing bowl (save any remaining mashed potatoes for another use). Stir in egg and 1 teaspoon salt. Gradually beat in flour until blended (dough will be firm and elastic). Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead 15 times. Divide dough into four sections. Roll each section into 1/2 inch wide ropes, about 12-18 inches long. Cut ropes into 1 inch pieces. Press down with a lightly floured fork on each piece. In a large pot, bring water and remaining salt to a boil. Add gnocchi and cook for 8-10 minutes or until gnocchi float to the top and are cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon. Serve immediately with spaghetti sauce and enjoy.
Gnocchi is pronounced "no-key" and it's like a dumpling in texture. I usually buy it pre-packaged from the store. But, after having the real thing on our trip to Italy last year, I wanted to give the homemade kind a try. It wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. I will probably still use the packaged kind most of the time, especially for company, since this recipe has a lot of last minute fuss to it. It was really fun, though, to make it fresh.
Ok I know the Bible says not to envy others but you went to Italy?!! That is the one place I want to go!! I love the landscape and especially the food. I can honestly say that cooking Italian food is my hobby. We love it. Around 90% of our meals are Italian. Gida De Laurentiis is my favorite. I have not made this though. It kind of intimidated me. I am going to give this one a try. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteKerri
Hi Kerri,
ReplyDeleteYes, we were blessed to visit Rome, Pisa and Cique Terra last year. We had family members that were living in Germany at the time, so we went to visit them and spent a week in Italy while we were there. The food was de-li-cious! :-) We like Gida, too. I've checked out her cookbooks from the library several times. I was very intimidated by the gnocchi, too, but it was easier than I thought. It makes me want to try real homemade pasta sometime. Good luck with the gnocchi!