Gnocchi

When I made the braised short rib ragu I served it on polenta which I don't use very often and that got me thinking about other things that you could serve a tasty ragu on. Of course pasta and rice come to mind first but then I thought about gnocchi which is another thing that I do not use too often. Gnocchi are soft potato dumplings that are made by combining flour and mashed potatoes. You can get creative with gnocchi by adding flavours or using different ingredients like sweet potatoes and I even recently tried some pumpkin gnocchi. Although the pumpkin gnocchi was really nice and I have a few more ideas for different gnocchi recipes, I figured that a plain and simple potato gnocchi would go best with my leftover ragu.



Potato gnocchi is actually pretty easy to make and once you get the hang of it, it does not take long either. First you need to cook the potatoes and you can either bake, boil or microwave them. I prefer to bake them and all that really requires is to toss them in the oven and walk away for an hour while they cook. After the potatoes have cooled down a bit you mash them and add any flavourings that you want followed by enough flour to turn it into a soft dough. Finally the dough is rolled out, cut it into small pieces and cooked before serving it as desired. With potato gnocchi being so nice and light, soft and chewy and addictively good, I think that I will be making it a lot more often!

Gnocchi

Perfectly light, soft and chewy potato dumplings that are a great replacement for pasta or rice.

Servings: makes 4 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hours 40 minutes

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound russet potatoes, about 2 large ones
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 - 3/4 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Prick the potatoes a few times with a fork.
2. Bake in a preheated 400F oven until tender, about an hour.
3. Scoop the inside out of the potatoes and mash them.
4. Mix in the egg and enough of the flour to form a soft dough that is not too sticky to work with.
5. Knead the dough for a minute and then roll it out into 4 long thin rolls about 1/2 inch thick.
6. Cut the rolls into 1/2 inch pieces and then roll the pieces in flour lightly shaking off any excess.
7. Roll the pieces over a gnocchi board or a fork to give them the ridges.
8. Cook the gnocchi in boiling water in small batches until it floats to the surface, about 2-3 minutes, remove and set aside to drain.
9. Use as desired.

Use in:
Gnocchi in a Gorgonzola Sauce Topped with Fried Mushrooms

Serve with:
Braised Short Rib Ragu

Similar Recipes:
Pumpkin Gnocchi
Zucchini Ricotta Gnocchi
Udon Noodles