Gnocchi

Yesterday was the big gnocchi day. I was quite excited by this. My dad had given me two recipes for gnocchi. An egg and potato recipe and then a plain potato one. I went with the plain potato gnocchi, being more traditional. Can't say I mastered gnochhi yet, but thankfully, they tasted so good, that I don't mind practicing!

*Side note: No pictures today. My attempts of rolling them on the fork failed so miserably that I was a little embarrassed to show the public. :-)


2 large Russet potatoes (enough to one person with leftovers)
about 1 1/2 cups of flour

Peel the potatoes and place in a boiling pot of water. Cook through. Remove from water and place in a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter or fork, mash the potatoes well. I had to wait for the potatoes to cool a bit before I was able to move onto the next step.

Add about 1 cup of the flour to the potatoes, and using your hands, incorporate well. When a dough forms, transfer to a floured surface and continue to knead. I had to add in about another half cup of flour to get a good consistency. You don't want the dough to be too sticky.

Meanwhile, boil a medium pot of water. (Lightly salted)

Breaking off a bit of the dough, roll between your hands to form a rope, about half an inch thick. Cut the rope into 1 inch pieces.

I had some difficulty getting the process of rolling the dough on the fork. After a bit, I gave up (was getting quite hungry) and cooked them as is. That is an art that I will have to continue practicing.

Once the water is boiling, drop the gnocchi into the water. They are cooked once they float to the surface. They will puff up quite a bit. Transfer the pasta to a serving plate and lightly toss with sauce. I chose a vodka sauce (thanks for the tip Dad!) and garnished it with fresh basil leaves.