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Grandma Nonnie's Gnocchi    (printer friendly)
Serves 4-6 as a side


Grandma Nonnie's Gnocchi6 medium sized Russet potatoes
6 handfulls of flour
1 egg
1 tablespoon olive oil (or truffle oil!)



Grandma used to buy the potatoes about a month in advance and store them in a cool, dry place. I think this has something to do with making sure the potatoes have lower starch content.

1. Boil whole, unpeeled potatoes in a large pot of water until tender.

2. Drain potatoes and wait until cool enough to handle. Peel potatoes and put through a food mill or a ricer.

3. Mound the riced potatoes into a pile on a large, clean work surface. Make a crater in the middle and add one egg and the olive oil. Top with about six handfulls of flour and knead until thoroughly mixed.

4. Take about a sixth of the dough and roll into a half inch thick log (use more flour if necessary). Cut the log into 3/4 to 1 inch pieces.

5. Take a fork in your left hand and point the tines so they are facing you. Take a gnocchi and lightly dust in flour. Place the gnocchi on the top left side of the fork tines and with your index finger, quickly press down on the dough and drag your finger diagonally across the fork tines (your finger will end up on the lower right side of the tines). This takes a little practice, but if you remember to move your finger diagonally you'll get it.

6. Place gnocchi on lightly floured sheets of wax paper until ready to serve. (They should hold for several hours.)

7. When ready to serve, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Gently, but quickly add 1/3 to 1/2 the gnocchi to the water. When they are almost done, the gnocchi will float to the surface. Once this happens, wait 1-2 more minutes then remove the gnocchi and drain (taste to make sure they are fully cooked).

8. Toss the gnocchi with your choice of sauce and serve! We love to serve our gnocchi with truffle butter & cheese or a pesto sauce.