Email to Tammy McNiff      

Recipe Categories: tia's HOME PAGEAfghanCookery APPETIZERS Baking Beans BEVERAGES Bread BREAD BreadMachine BREAKFAST CakeMix Cakes CAKESandPIES CANDY CASSEROLES CentralEuropean Chocolate ChristmasGifts CondimentsJamsetc COOKIES CROCKPOT David DESSERTS DessertsHEALTHY FISHandSEAFOOD FrozenConvenience FRUIT Grains Health HolidayDishes IceboxCookies IceCream Indian Italian LOWFAT MakeAhead MEATS Mexican MezzeTapas Microwave MiddleEastern Muffins PASTA PASTRIES Pie POULTRY PRESSURECOOKER Quick RICE SALADandDRESSING SANDWICHES SAUCES SNACKS Snacks SoupsandStews SOUPSandSTEWS Spice_Blends Tapas Thai Vegan VEGETABLES VEGETARIAN Vietnamese

Gnocchi

List of Ingredients




2 large russet potatoes (baking potatoes)
3-4 cups flour

Recipe



Boil the potatoes until fork tender (not mushy). As soon as they are done, remove from the water and place in a dish. Remove the skin from the potatoes using a sharp knife or fork. Cut the potatoes into pieces and process the peeled, hot potatoes through a food mill using the medium disk.

Place a mound of flour, about 2 1/2 cups to start, on your work surface (a floured board). Place all of the processed potatoes on top of the flour. Knead the flour/potato mixture with your hands until the dough is smooth; free of lumps, but yet still a little sticky. This recipe does not lend itself to making the dough in the food processor or mixer. Keep adding flour as necessary to obtain the desired consistency. The amount of the flour needed depends on how much water is in the potatoes, the moisture in the air, etc. Sometimes, it can take up to 4 cups to obtain the right consistency. Keep kneading until it is right.

After kneading the dough, place it under a dry kitchen towel to keep it warm. Immediately start making the gnochhi. This dough must be used right away. Cut a small piece off of the dough. Roll the piece into a "log" that is approximately 12-16 inches long. The log should be about 1/2" in diameter. You do not want it too wide or the gnocchi get too "fat." Cut the log into pieces about 1-inch long. You will end up with about 12-16 gnocchi per log. The next step is to form the gnocchi.

Take a fork in your left hand (if you are right handed), and hold it straight up with the tines facing towards the ceiling. With your index finger of your right hand, take 1 piece of gnocchi and starting at the top of the fork, roll the piece down the inside tine of the fork. This should be done with firm pressure (not too firm as to smash the gnocchi, but firm enough to roll the piece down the fork and leave an indentation on the gnocchi). When you get to the base of the tines, release the gnocchi and let it drop to a floured tray. The "completed" gnocchi should be marked with the fork tines on 1 side of it and have a slight indentation from your index finger on the other side of it. This shape and marking allow the pasta to "catch" the sauce when you serve it.

Proceed with all of the dough and make each piece as directed. This goes very fast once you get the hang of it. Let the pasta sit on the floured trays on your counter until ready to serve. However, serving time should be within 4-5 hours of making the gnocchi. Otherwise they will dry out and get tough.

To serve, boil the gnocchi in lots of boiling, salted water. As soon as the pasta rises to the top, it is done. (This is also very quick). Drain the cooked gnocchi in a colander.