This recipe was created for my cooking class students in LA. The goal was to make it simple and repeatable. Gnocchi is a bit tricky and you have to add flour just to the point of getting a soft dough, but not too much to make dense balls.
This recipe is a good guideline, but potatoes always have different moisture amounts, so you need to probably adjust things slightly, adding a little more flour most likely. Wight the potatoes if you can. This will make a difference.
I also love to make gnocchi ahead of time and put them in the freezer for an hour, or even overnight. They hold up better that way. When I’m ready, I put the frozen gnocchi directly into the boiling water and they all float, they are done. I make a quick tomato sauce, or butter-sage and that’s it. It’s delicious and quick. They’ll keep well for a month in the freezer.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 1 cup flour
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 lb. yukon gold potatoes, about 3-4
Procedure
- Boil potatoes for 20-30 minutes until tender, then drain. Be careful not to overcook potatoes. Cook them just until a fork or knife pierces them easily.
- Use a potato ricer or food mill to puree the potatoes while hot.
- Let the potato puree cool at least 20 minutes, or until room temperature. Then, make the gnocchi dough by combining the flour, egg, and salt. Bring the dough together to make a soft, but firm dough. Knead the dough gently for a couple minutes.
- Tear off lemon-sized piece of dough and then roll out into long ropes with a ½ inch thickness.
- Cut the ropes into 1 inch pieces and set on a lightly floured pan. Use a fork or washboard to make decorations on the gnocchi, if desired. Store the gnocchi in the freezer while you make the sauces if you can. When ready to boil them, place frozen gnocchi directly into boiling water. Don’t overcrowd the pot or gnocchi will turn gummy.
- Cook gnocchi in salted water for 1-2 minutes, or until they float to the top. When done, toss them directly into the sauces and toss to heat all ingredients through. Serve topped with extra cheese, crushed red pepper flakes, or fresh basil.
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Tomato-Basil Sauce
Serves 2
Ingredients
- ¼ cup fresh baby tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 Tablespoon basil, sliced
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Small pinch of salt
Heat the garlic and olive oil in a saute pan until the garlic just gets golden. Then, stand away and add all the tomatoes. Cook for 2-5 minutes or until tomatoes start to break down. Season with salt and add basil at the end. Take off heat until pasta is ready.
When pasta is ready, reheat sauce with pasta for a couple seconds, then serve.
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