This recipe is from Jonathan Sara. The recipe is featured on the My Family Recipe Rocks website.
I love making gnocchi. Yes it’s time consuming but how can you resist a little pillow puff ball of potato-y happiness? If you can resist you are either non-human, or need to make millions bottling up your secret to success! Every now and then I’ll buy store bought gnocchi, but the moment I put a fork full of homemade gnocchi in my mouth, my tastes bubs start doing an elaborate dance with fireworks to boot.
On the show, Jonathan makes this with a Parmigiano Tomato Sauce, but I think the gnocchi can be pared with multiple types of sauces. I started a list below of sauces they go good with. I’ll add to it when I discover a new sauce.
Special Equipment
Potato Ricer.….GET ONE!!! Before I had one, I would painstakingly push the warm potato through a strainer which is a sure way to get Carpal tunnel! Not only is it painful, pushing a potato through a strainer, but it’s time consuming! It took me over 30 minutes to push the potato through the strainer….the potato ricer takes 5 seconds!
Ingredients
2-3 Large Baking Potatoes (Approx 2 cups)
Flour (1 Cup) (Plus more for dusting the counter top and baking sheet)
4 Egg Yolks
Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese (1 Cup)
Fresh Ground Nutmeg (1/2 teaspoon)
Kosher Salt (1/2 teaspoon)
Fresh Cracked Pepper (1/4 teaspoon) (Approx 10 turns)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Pierce the potatoes with a fork 6-9 times and put into the oven directly on the rack. Bake for 45 min — 1 hour, until almost overcooked. Using an oven mitt squeeze the potatoes, they should be very soft. When done, place on a plate to cool.
3. When the potatoes are room temperature, cut them in half length wise. Scoop out the inside of the potatoes using a spoon, making sure not to get any peel with it. Place ½ the potatoes in a Potato Ricer (found at any kitchen store) and press down, letting the pressed potatoes fall directly onto a floured counter top. Repeat with the remainder of the potatoes until they have all been passed through the potato ricer.
4. Make a hole in the center of the pile of riced potatoes, creating a well. Inside the center of the well, add the egg yolks, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and parmigiano reggiano. With your fingers begin mixing the ingredients in the center. Add 1/3 of the flour while mixing with your fingers and gradually start pulling in some of the potatoes from the side of the well. Add 1/3 more of the flour and continue pulling in the sides of the potatoes. Finally, add the rest of the flour and begin to press the mixture and it will gradually begin to combine together. Scrape what is sticking to your fingers and add back into the mixture. Continue to gently work the dough until the flour is incorporated and is able to be formed into a ball. Be careful not to overwork the dough, as it will become heavy and glutinous. Put the ball of dough into a lightly floured bowl with a damp cloth on top and set aside on the counter for about a half hour.
5. Thoroughly dust the counter top with flour, place the dough ball on the counter and cut into fourths. One piece at a time, begin to roll the dough back in forth in your hand. Then place on the counter and continue to gently roll back and forth, starting from the center and working outward. Work it back and forth until it takes the shape of a thin rope, about the thickness of a permanent marker. Cut the rope of dough into 1 inch pieces and pinch the ends in, making the shape of a little mini pillow. Place on to a baking sheet lined with wax paper, dusted with flour. Continue until all the gnocchi is rolled and cut, making sure to form any excess trimmings into another rope to utilize all the dough. Place the baking sheet of gnocchi in a cool area under any kind of fan to dry. After an hour flip each piece of gnocchi to dry on the other side and let sit another hour.
6. Boil Approximately 6 quarts of water and a heavy pinch of salt to the water. Drop in the gnocchi by lifting the corners of the wax paper and sliding into the water. Don’t worry about excess the excess flour getting into the water. Stir the gnocchi and cook approximately 3-4 minutes or until the gnocchi floats to the top.
7. Remove the gnocchi from the pot with a slotted spoon and put directly into the sauces!
Recommended sauces
Wild Mushroom and Sage Ragu
Parmigiano Tomato Sauce (you need to scroll down to see the sauce recipe)
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