Gnocchi

Gnocchi is a project that can keep half a dozen kids busy. For this recipe, you’ll need a potato ricer, a hand-held device with holes in the bottom through which you squeeze the potatoes.

(Makes about 72 gnocchi)

Created by: Lidia Matticchio Bastianich

• 1 1/2 pounds baking potatoes
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg, beaten well
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1. Boil the potatoes in water to cover until tender when poked with a fork. Don’t let them overcook to the point that their skins split. Drain.
• 2. As soon as the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them and put them through a ricer or vegetable mill, letting the shreds fall onto a large baking tray or board. Spread them out, sprinkle on the salt, and let them dry out and cool for at least 20 minutes.
• 3. Pour the beaten eggs over the potatoes and then add 1 cup of the flour. Gather the mass together and knead, adding a little more flour as necessary to make the dough hold together. But keep it light; the more you work the dough, the more flour you’ll need, and you don’t want to incorporate too much or the gnocchi will be heavy and dry. A good criterion: slice the mass in half and examine the texture. It should look like cookie dough peppered with small holes.
• 4. Cut the dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll out each portion into a broomstick about 18 inches long, then cut crosswise into 2/3-inch pieces and toss them lightly in flour. You should have about 72 gnocchi.
• 5. Take one piece of gnocchi and place it cut-side down on the tines of a fork, then with your lightly floured thumb press into it, at the same time pushing it off the end of the fork and onto a floured board. The gnocchi should have an indentation where your thumb was and ridges from the fork tines on the other side. Repeat with all the remaining pieces and cover with a clean towel. The pieces should be cooked immediately.
• 6. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the gnocchi, 5 or 6 at a time, into a large pot of boiling salted water. Once the gnocchi start boiling, cook for 2 to 3 minutes until they plump up and float to the surface; when done, they will have a softer feel.
• 7. Finish the gnocchi with butter and a little sugar. You can also dress them with cinnamon and toasted bread crumbs. And a splash of maple syrup is delicious. The kids will love it. I know some who even like their gnocchi dressed with peanut butter and jelly!

Nutrients per serving:
Calories: 156
Fat: 4g
Cholesterol: 25mg
Carbohydrate: 27g
Sodium: 177mg
Protein: 4g
Total dietary fiber: 1g

May & June 2005

Photographer: Alexandra Rowely

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