What Are Gnocchi?
While there are actually several different kinds of gnocchi (and we talked about some of them a few weeks ago), today we’ll just focus on potato gnocchi. This is a half-pasta, half-dumpling that hails from the northern part of Italy. As you can probably guess from the name, they’re made from cooked potatoes that get mashed, mixed with egg and flour, and kneaded into a dough. The best gnocchi are like soft little pillows, and like pasta, get served in a wide array of sauces. Basic Recipe for Potato Gnocchi This recipe makes enough gnocchi to serve four people as a main course or six people as a side dish. 2 lbs starchy potatoes 1 egg, lightly beaten 1/2 – 1 cup flour three-fingered pinch of salt Use a starchy potato like Russets. They’re very absorbent, give the gnocchi a nice texture, and will help the gnocchi to hold their shape in the boiling water. Second best are all-purpose potatoes like Yukon Golds. Wash the potatoes well, but leave the skins on. Put them in a pot, cover them wit
