Homemade Gnocchi

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to spend some time with my sweet sister. Good times! While I was there, one of her neighbors invited us over for lunch. Thing is….we had to help make it. Normally, I wouldn’t be too excited but this was different. She took the time to show us how to make fresh gnocchi. We then cooked and ate our creation. Simply squisito!

Once I came home I simply had to recreate this for the mister and he fell in love. Here is how we did it:

These pillowy packets of goodness start with just two baked or boiled potatoes (do not microwave). Peel them and use a ricer to mash the potatoes.

Once the potatoes have been run through the ricer, measure them. The goal is to add an equal amount of ricotta to the potatoes and since potatoes vary greatly in size, don’t guess!

Next, measure out your ricotta cheese.

I added 1/2 cup of fresh grated parmesan cheese to bring the total cheeses to 1 1/2 cups or equal to the volume of the riced potatoes.

Place the potatoes and the ricotta into a large mixing bowl.

Then I added the parm

I grated about a teaspoon of nutmeg into the bowl

Add three eggs

Toss in a  bit of pepper and just a smidge of salt

Now it is time to get busy! Start mixing up this wonderful concoction. If you have help in the kitchen, it would be a great time to fill a large soup pot with water and heat it to boil.

Here is what your mixture should look like once it is smooth and ready to be formed into balls.

Now form the gnocchi by rolling them between your palms. They should be about golf ball sized. As you make them, place them on a plate or tray until you are ready to drop them into the boiling water.

Once the water is at a full, rolling boil begin dropping the gnocchi in one at a time. Don’t overload the pot….make sure it keeps boiling and don’t add more than about 12-14 at a time. This recipe should yield about 24-28 gnocchi.

They will slowly rise to the top as they cook. It should take about 5-10 minutes. Gently remove them from the water with tongs or a slotted spoon and place into a casserole dish that has been drizzled with a little olive oil. Put your second batch in the water and heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Once the second batch has been boiled and placed in the dish, cover with the sauce of your choice. I picked a rich, heavy marinara which ultimately was overwhelming for the tender taste of the gnocchi. I would suggest something on the lines of a vodka or bolognese sauce but your mileage may vary.

I baked the gnocchi in the sauce for about 30 minutes and topped with some grated parmesan. Looks tasty!

Let’s EAT!