There is nothing more comforting than mashed potatoes and gravy, except maybe gnocchi in a wonderful meat sauce! Every now and then I get this craving for soft pillowy home made gnocchi. It's kinda like pasta, once you have home made, there is no going back. The easiest trick for me is to use left over mashed potatoes. I make my mashed potatoes with unsalted butter and a combo of cream, half and half, milk, or chicken broth, and a little salt and pepper...it really depends on what's in the fridge at the time and what I have to use up, so it's never the same. The gnocchi turn out wonderful every time so it really doesn't matter. Now I have to say I do cheat, besides using left overs, I run down to Genova's, a wonderful little Italian deli, and grab a pint of their meat sauce. When you work full time, you gotta have shortcuts! Their meat sauce may be better than mine, but my gnocchi is better than theirs....so it's a wonderful combination in my book. How fun is that !Gnocchi Recipe
Ingredients
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| fresh parmigiano reggiano cheese, grated for garnish
If using left over mashed potatoes, heat in small pot or microwave until warm. If not, make some! Transfer warmed mashed potatoes to a mixing bowl, add the yolk and mix. Add salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup of the flour. Knead together, I use a fork... and add more flour if necessary, bit by bit, kneading until a slightly sticky consistency is attained. Lightly dust a work surface with flour. * Form the dough into sausage-like rolls about the thickness of your thumb. Cut into pieces about 1 inch in length. (See my note below, I leave my dough too tacky to be able to do it this way.) Using a fork, flatten the piece as you roll so that the tines leave an imprint in the gnocchi and roll it right off the end of the fork. Keep a glass of water nearby to clean the fork. Transfer to waxed paper lightly dusted with flour. Heat meat sauce in serving platter in oven and keep warm. Meanwhile, fill a 6 quart pot with salted water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat so the water is a gentle roll. Drop the gnocchi into water, about 12-16 at a time. They will sink to the bottom but will rise to the surface after a minute or three. Continue to cook for another 15 seconds. Immediately remove with a slotted spoon to a colander. Sprinkle with a little olive oil to keep from sticking together, mix gently and transfer to heated meat sauce dish. Repeat until all gnocchi have been cooked. Serve with parm on the side! Kim's Note: * My trick for tender gnocchi is to stay as light on the flour as possible. When the dough is still fairly tacky, I scoop the potato mixture into little balls with a little #100 scoop and let sit for about 10 minutes on my baking sheet. They will develop a slight crust which you can then shape on fork. If you use too much flour your gnocchi will be too heavy, in both flavor and texture. It takes a little practice, but once you get the right consistency, you will be jumping for joy! |
