Gnocchi, a simple pasta made from potatoes, is one of my favorite things to make. I learned how to make it from an old Italian couple that I worked with many years ago. They owned a restaurant in Italy at one time. When I first made gnocchi for Jackie, she adored it, but she always giggles at the way I pronounce the word. Jackie, my ever so beautiful documentarian (with a very endearing nerdy side) likes to pronounce “gnocchi” it with a certain Italian flair. I, on the other hand, Americanize my pronunciation: “knock-y”. However you choose to say it, this stuff is good. And this recipe has become one of our favorites. It is sweet, yet savory and ever so decadent.
Making homemade gnocchi may seem intimidating, but it is really quite simple. It is also a great project for the whole family. The dough is very easy to make, and the rolling and shaping of the pasta is simple enough that the kids can do it. You can spend some time making a large batch and then freeze enough to make many, many meals. We love gnocchi every which way, but for this recipe, we created a rich, creamy sauce sweetened with sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil. It really hit the spot.
How can you not love a pasta made with potatoes? I crave this stuff quite often, which is why I make enough to freeze. It enables me to make quick, delicious dinner in less than 15 minutes. We hope you enjoy this family favorite as much as we do.
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An easy pasta dish made from potatoes that can bring families together eating it and making it.
Ingredients
- For the gnocchi:
- 4 medium potatoes
- 1 1/2– 2 cups flour
- 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Salt
- Pepper
- For the sauce:
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp flour
- 1– 1 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 c diced sundried tomatoes
- 8–10 basil leaves
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- For the gnocchi:
- Have large pot of salted water on stove heating to a boil
- Peel and cut potatoes into 1 ” pieces
- Cook until fork tender
- Drain and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes
- Run potatoes thru a ricer or mix with beater until resembling mashed potatoes
- Allow to cool until cool to the touch ( can be refrigerated )
- Add 1 1/2 cups flour to start. Add egg, egg yolk garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste.
- Mix until dough forms
- Convert dough to counter dusted with flour and knead dough until smooth and not sticky. You may have to add flour to create.
- Cut off small portions and roll out to form 1/2 inch rope.
- Cut into 1/2 pieces
- Continue until all dough is cut
- To form the gnocchi:
- Using a fork take each piece of dough and roll the dough down the fork while pressing in with your finger to ” hollow the inside”.
- Continue until all dough is rolled.
- At this point arrange all gnocchi on a baking sheets.
- (You can freeze at this point and when frozen, transfer to ziplock bags and store for up to 6 months in the freezer)
- To make the sauce:
- In a large saute pan melt the butter and mix in flour and cook over medium heat for 3 mins stirring often.
- Wish in milk until flour and butter mixture is combined.
- Turn heat to medium -low and allow to thicken, whisking often.
- Once sauce reaches desired thickness turn off heat
- Add Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and sun-dried tomatoes and mix
- Add salt and pepper
- Dice fresh basil leaves and add to sauce and mix.
- To prepare dish:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil
- Add gnocchi about a cup at a time.
- Allow to cook until they float to the top
- Remove with slotted spoon and place in large bowl
- Continue until you have cooked all the pasta
- To serve, simply spoon sauce onto the bottom of plate and add about 1 1/2 cups cooked pasta on top of sauce and garnish with Parmesan cheese and serve
You must know that this recipe is superb! It even tastes awesome the next day. Making gnocchi is a mess but well worth it. Have you ever pan-fried it after boiling it? If not you should try it 🙂 Anyway, this recipe is perfect as is, but I had mushrooms on hand and added those as well!