Gnocchi

I've been wanting to make some homemade gnocchi, and I thought this was something my girls would love to help with. They loved it! And they did a fantastic job rolling and cutting the dough, and pressing the little ridges in them. In Italy, this pasta is more of an appetizer, served with a pesto sauce. But I made mine into a main dish, and added the pesto to my alfredo sauce, to make a creamy pesto sauce. It turned out great! There are lots of different kinds of gnocchi, depending on what you add to the dough, such as ricotta gnocchi, or spinach gnocchi. My recipe (from Food Network) is a basic recipe, and is very versatile, and is even great to add to a soup.

2 lbs. potatoes (approx.)

2 cups flour

1 egg

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup oil

Peel and boil the potatoes until soft. Drain, and while still warm, mash them very finely. Add the flour, egg, salt, and oil, and mix well. Knead the dough until soft, adding flour if it is too sticky. Place the dough on a floured surface and divide into several pieces. Roll out the pieces into thin ropes, and cut it into small bite size pieces. Using a fork, press slightly in the middle of each piece, and pull the fork toward you at the same time, rolling the gnocchi as you press it. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Bring a pot of water, with 1 Tb. salt, to boil and cook the pasta in batches. The gnocchi is done when it floats to the top. With a slotted spoon, remove the gnocchi and place in an oiled dish to keep warm. You may also toss with 1 Tb oil, and refrigerate for a few days. Serve with your favorite sauce.