recipe | homemade gnocchi

potato pleasing pasta... I have always loved gnocchi. As a kid, I'd always pronounce it "no-chi". My Italian mother would cringe as she corrected me "n-yoh-kee". Now and days my boys are quite familiar with the name, not because of the pasta, but because of the cat on Curious George. Hey, whatever works to get them to try these delicate potato pasta puffs.

I highly recommend making these at home rather than buying store bought. Too often the store bought kind are dense and chewy. This homemade recipe creates happy, airy, palette pleasing puffs that work great with almost any sauce imaginable. It is pretty easy to make, and you can even make it ahead and freeze for later usage. The key to a lighter gnocchi is to use a drier potato like a russet.

Gnocchi

makes 4-6 servings

4 medium sized russet potatoes, scrubbed

1c all purpose flour

1 large egg yolk

kosher salt

cracked black pepper

olive oil

Bake the potatoes for one hour at 400ºF. Let cool on rack for 15 minutes. Slice in half and scoop potato into a food mill or ricer. Over a cookie sheet, rice the potatoes into one layer. Allow to cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, toss the riced potatoes with the flour until granular and coated. Make a well and add the egg yolk and salt and pepper. Mix until well coated. On a lightly floured surface, place the mixture and knead until a dough is formed. Do not over knead. Just knead until a ball can be easily formed. Cut the ball into four pieces. Roll out each piece into a 3/4" rope. Cut the rope into 3/4" pieces. Using the back of a fork, gently roll the gnocchi piece to create a slight indentation. (At this point, use fresh or refrigerate this dough for up to two days or freeze for up to two months.)

To cook: cook in boiling water until the gnocchi floats to the surface. Continue to simmer for another 4 minutes until tender.