Here at ONK it is our mission to make good food accessible for the home cook. Gnocchi is a prime example of why we are here. No one should subject their family to the heavily processed turds they sell at the grocery store as gnocchi. Especially because gnocchi is NOT DIFFICULT TO MAKE and you likely have all the ingredients in your pantry. What?! Yes, all you need to make these delicious potato pillows are potatoes, eggs, flour, salt, and parmesan cheese.

The first time I set out to make gnocchi, I was so scared that I would fail miserably, only to discover it was so easy and delicious. Now it is not a zero-investment, gnocchi does take some time to make. Between cooking the potatoes, ricing them, making your dough, then rolling and cutting the dumplings, and parboiling you can expect to invest a good 2 hours. However, you do not necessarily need 2 continuous hours. There are plenty of ways to break up the dish to make the time investment a little less intimidating. Still, when I make gnocchi I usually make enough to make 4 meals.

One of the most frequent shortfalls when it comes to making gnocchi, is so many people just boil the dumplings. Gnocchi when only boiled are ok to eat, they are cooked through, but who would want to eat them? Boiled gnocchi are frequently slimy, bland, and mushy. I wouldn’t serve them to my dog… moreover I don’t think my dog would eat them. Gnocchi are best when toasted with just a little bit of butter. Toasting gnocchi brings out their flavor, firms them up without making them heavy, and provides a great texture. So enough talking about gnocchi let’s get to the cooking.

Basic Gnocchi:

• 3 lbs potatoes (red or idaho) peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 large or 2 small eggs, beaten
• 2 teaspoons salt

Boil your potatoes in salted water until you can spear one with NO resistance with a fork. Drain the potatoes and run cold water over them to cool them. When the potatoes are cool to the touch, put them through a potato ricer or if you do not have a ricer, mash your potatoes with a masher. The mashed dough will look smoother but it will not influence the final product much.

Mix the potatoes, flour, parmesan cheese, and salt in a large bowl with your hands. You “can” use a spoon for mixing gnocchi dough but in my experience, using your hands will make a much better dough. Add the egg and mix until a dry, but cohesive dough forms. You want your dough to bind together however, you do not want your dough to be too wet or dry. Don’t worry if your dough is too wet or too dry, it is fixable. If your dough is not sticking with one egg then add another. If the dough is too wet (either from one egg or the addition of the second) you can add additional flour and cheese by the heaping tablespoon until your dough reaches the proper consistency.

Let your dough rest for about 5 minutes before rolling. On a floured surface, roll the dough into 3/4 to 1 inch diameter logs. Slice the logs into 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces. If you want to be fancy you can roll the dumplings under a fork to give them a striped appearance (yielding superior sauce binding). Boil the gnocchi, in batches, in a large pot of water until they float (3-4 minutes). Use a slotted spoon to scoop the gnocchi out of the water.

If you are planning to cook them right away they can be put directly into a skillet with melted butter. After boiling, gnocchi can be frozen for up to 6 months. When you are ready to prepare your gnocchi, thaw them at room temperature.

Make your Gnocchi into a Meal:

• 3-4 Tablespoons, salted butter
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound loose sausage (simple flavors are best: sweet italian or just use ground pork with a healthy amount of salt and pepper)
• 1/3 pound kale, stems removed and sliced in 1 inch strips
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg, ground
• 1 sprig of basil leaves, stems removed, minced (or 1 Tbsp dry basil)
• ground pepper
• parmesan cheese

In a large skillet brown your meat. Drain the fat off the meat and set aside. In a clean skillet, melt the butter and saute the onion, garlic, and basil until the onion is translucent. Add the gnocchi and allow it to get just a hint of golden brown, stirring frequently. Add the sausage, nutmeg, and kale. Mix and cover the pot for 2-3 minutes to steam the kale. Serve topped with parmesan cheese and fresh ground pepper.

Gnocchi can also be made as a side dish. Just toast it with butter and nutmeg and top with a little parmesan cheese.