Recipe Challenge #2 - Gnocchi

Welcome to our second Lower Kitchen - Recipe Challenge!  This week, I got to choose what we all make, and I decided on classic potato gnocchi! 

I LOVE gnocchi, so I was very interested in trying to make it myself.  After all, I’ve made my own pastas before and, while time consuming, the results were fantastic.  So why not gnocchi?

It turns out, the gnocchi dough is a bit tricky to work with.  It’s quite sticky, and as it sits, more of the flour absorbs and your nice, smooth dumplings can become gooey once more, so be sure to work quickly!

This is also great with all sorts of sauces, from spicy marinara to creamy Alfredo to herby pesto!

Potato Gnocchi

Ingredients

• 4 medium (or 2 large) russet potatoes 
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 - 3 cups (or more, as needed) AP flour
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 6 - 8 sage leaves

1. Scrub the potatoes and place in a large pot of salted water.  Bring to a boil until fork tender, approximately 20 - 25 minutes.  Remove from water and allow to cool until still warm but cool enough to handle.
2. Peel the potatoes and pass through a food mill or potato ricer into a large bowl  Alternatively, mash thoroughly, ensuring no lumps remain.
3. Stir the salt and pepper into the potatoes.  Making a well in the center of the potatoes and add the egg.  Using your fingers, gently mix the potatoes into the egg until fully blended.
4. Sprinkle about 1 cup of flour onto a clean work surface and turn out the potatoes into the flour.  Sprinkle with another cup of flour and kneed until smooth, adding additional flour as needed until the dough is no longer sticky.
5. Cut the dough into four pieces.  Working with one at a time, roll each piece into a rope, about 1/2” - 1” in diameter.  Using a knife or bench scraper, cut the rope into 1/2” pieces.  You can leave these as is, roll them over the tines of a fork for the classic ridged shape, or roll them into smooth balls.
6. Bring a pot of salted water to boil.  Working in batches to ensure the gnocchi aren’t crowded, drop the gnocchi into the water.  Once they rise to the top, allow to boil for an additional 30 seconds before removing from the water and allowing to thoroughly drain.
7. In a large frying pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Add the sage leaves and allow to fry briefly, about 30 second.  Add in the gnocchi (in batches, if needed) to the pan and fry until lightly browned.
8. Enjoy!