My Mother's Potato Gnocchi

By Paul Romanacci

I remember well the site of my mother in the kitchen rolling her wonderful potato gnocchi off of a fork and onto the counter. I would watch with great anticipation. I loved gnocchi, and my mother made the best.

Gnocchi in short , are potato dumplings or potato pasta if you will. Many have tried and failed to make a good batch of these tiny marvels. But the fact is, that gnocchi are not hard to make well if you know what you are doing. So without any further delay, here is the recipe for my mother's famous potato Gnocchi.

INGREDIENTS

• 8 potatoes

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 Egg

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Now must most people will start out by telling you to boil your potatoes until they are tender. Well, my mother did that for a long time. Then one day she experimented and found that if you make your gnocchi from baked potatoes in stead of boiled potatoes, the come out much lighter.

1. Bake your potatoes until cooked and tender. There is no need to over cook them. Scrape the inside of the potatoes out and discard the skins. You can mash the potatoes; however, you will have much better results if you use a ricer. 2.After they have slightly cooled, place your riced potatoes onto your work surface or cutting board and make a well in the center. Add your egg and some flour and knead into a soft dough. Too much flour will ruin your dish. You want to include just enough to give you workable dough and no more.

2. Now take your dough a handful at a time and roll it into a long rope about one inch in diameter on a floured surface. Cut the ropes into one-inch pieces. When you have all your pieces cut, you're going to gently roll them off the end of a fork with your thumb. This will give the gnocchi a nice texture and shape.

3. Now, boil a pot of salted water add your gnocchi and give them an occasional stir. The cook rather quickly - about 3 - 5 minutes. When the rise to the top of the pot, they are done.

4. Drain the gnocchi and mix with your favorite sauce. Most people will have them with pomodoro sauce or meat sauce. I myself love them with a nice basil pesto and topped off with a dollop of ricotta cheese.

The article My Mother's Potato Gnocchi was Submitted by Paul Romanacci through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Paolo Romanacci is first and foremost the son of Italian immigrants. Born and raised in New Haven, Ct, Paolo discovered a love for food and all things Italian early on in life. Paolo has worked in restaurants and catering establishments from coast to coast. Paolo is founder and President of http://www.CiaoPaolo.com an internet company which brings wonderful Italian foods and ingredients to the United States. Paolo lives in New Haven with his wife and daughter.