Ingredients:
- 4-5 C flour
- 1 egg
- 4-5 medium-sized potatoes (Idaho are best)
- ricotta cheese
Directions:
Peel, halve, and then boil potatoes until soft. While potatoes are boiling, make a mound with the flour in the middle of a very large (wood) cutting board. With one hand, make a “well” in the center of the mound so that you end up with the flour in a ring around an empty spot in the middle. Crack the egg into the center of the “well” and scramble with a fork. (do not mix with flour yet.)
Add two heaping tablespoons of ricotta to the egg. While potatoes are still hot, use a ricer to add them to the “well” with the egg and ricotta. Mix all together with the flour without burning yourself on the hot potatoes. Knead dough until smooth, sprinkling flour as needed to keep it from sticking to the board and hands.
Shape into a big loaf. Cut off 1/2 – 3/4 inch diameter. Cut into bite size chunks no larger than one inch long. Repeat until you’ve cut the entire loaf. For best results, lay gnocchi pieces on floured cookie sheets and freeze overnight.
To cook, add frozen gnocchi to large pot of boiling water. When they float to the top, they’re done – approximately 5 minutes. Drain and combine with your favorite Italian red sauce. Serve immediately.
Comments:
From Andera Sheffield who says they taste great – even better the next day, refrigerate the leftovers. Bob has made these and I agree – they are delicious. I first had gnocchi years after making the first edition of the cookbook. The restaurant served the gnocchi over a mushroom sausage cream sauce. WOW. I was a little intimidated by this recipe, but Bob makes it look easy and it is totally worth giving a try.