Easy Potato Gnocchi

2Bleu's Note:

Think of gnocchi as very delicate dumplings. They are usually made using potatoes and/or flour. This is a dish that you can use with many sauces that you would normally use on pasta. It's alot easier to make than you might imagine. Some sauce ideas include Brandied Tomato Sauce (Flambe'), Gnocchi With Mornay Cheese Sauce, and Olive Garden Gnocchi With Spicy Tomato and Wine Sauce

• Total Time: 15 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 5 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 2 large idaho potatoes (russets)
• 1/2 cup gruyere cheese, shredded (or parmesan cheese)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup flour
• 1 egg

Directions:

1. Cook potatoes (with their skin on) in boiling water until tender. Allow the cooked potatoes to cool slightly, then carefully peel while holding potato with a kitchen mitt.
2. While still hot, puree potatoes through a ricer, food mill, or hand style cheese shredder and shred them into a large mixing bowl and allow to cool completely before proceeding. You can 'flip' the bowl to toss the potatoes to help them cool. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
3. Add the cheese, flour, salt, and pepper and toss again by 'flipping' the bowl (similar to sauteeing a pan over a flame).
4. Add in the egg and mix by hand to form a smooth, slightly sticky dough. Briefly knead the dough to incorporate the flour, being careful not to overwork. Cut the dough into 6 equal pieces and return them to the bowl.
5. Working in close proximity to the stove, lightly flour your hands, and have a fork ready. Roll each piece (one at a time) into a long rope, about 1/2-inch in diameter, flouring your hands lightly only if needed. Slice the ropes into pieces 1-inch pieces.
6. Holding one piece at a time, gently press and roll the balls of dough against the back tines of a fork so slight indentations are formed (dip the back of the fork tines in flour as needed). Repeat with each piece of dough either keeping the pieces on the counter (or you can drop them right off the fork into the boiling water as you make them).
7. Gently drop the gnocchi into boiling water and wait for them to rise to the top. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes more then remove the cooked gnocchi with a slotted spoon or skimmer. Pour sauce over top and serve.

Reviews

[spiritussancto]

i found this fairly arduous and tasteless, i'm afraid. i used cheddar since that's what i had and added a bit or garlic powder and basil and it still tasted like unseasoned mashed potato balls. if i do this again it will be with leftover mashed potatoes and a whole lot more flavorings. my second round of boiling them did work better then the first, i think because the dough had rested for some 15 min and i turned the heat down so they were simmering instead of at a rolling boil.

[Galley Wench]

This was my first time making Gnocchi and it wasn't difficult, but will take a little practice to get the 'prefect little pillows'! Instead of using a bowl, I mixed them on a pastry board; poured the egg over the potatoes and then sprinkled the salt, flour and cheese on top and mixed. The only problem I had was that the potatoes weren't as tender as they should have been, but still very yummy! Thanks Bird and Buddha!

[bluemoon downunder]

Although these took ME much longer than 10 minutes to prepare, they were easy to make and enjoyable to make. It was ages since I'd make gnocchi, so I really appreciated the clarity of the instructions. I used a mix of gruyere and parmesan and slightly more than the specified amount and I just couldn't resist adding a sprinkling of a couple of my favourite herbs - currently rosemary, sage and thyme - and I used garlic salt rather than sea salt. The gnocchi were delicious. We enjoyed them with *Pamela*'s fabulously flavoursome Mushroom Sauce for Meatballs, which I often use on meatballs and meatloaf. Made for PRMR. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.