Italian Gnocchi

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

5 lbs. potatoes, peeled, boiled and drained
flour (about 4-5 cups)
sprinkle of salt

Directions:

Mash or rice potatoes while hot until almost lump free
Make a *volcanoe* of flour on a counter/board/table
Place potatoes in the center. With you fingers or a fork
slowly mix in flour until a somewhat sticky dough forms
adding flour as necessary so it doesn’t stick to your hands.
break of a chunk of this dough and form into a long rope
about 3/4″ in diameter. Cut role into 3/4″ pieces.

It gets confusing here, you form them into little
shells by *smooshing* against the table or a fork to
create a design on the outside of each little gnocchi.
(gnocchi in Italian is suppose to mean some kind of
snail shell I think.)

Place all of the gnocchi on a large platter until all
dough is used up, flouring well so they don’t stick to
each other.

Place a large pan of water (really large) on to boil.
When it comes to a boil, add about 1 Tbs. of salt.
Slowly drop in the gnocchi. Stir once (they sink to the
bottom) As they rise, remove with slotted spoon to
serving dish or bowl. pour sauce over and enjoy. They
are truly awesome with a nice basil tomato sauce.

You can also make them with fat free Ricotta. For
every container of Ricotta, add 2 containers of flour
and omit the potatoes, but the potatoes are my
favorite.

Donna Henderson
Henderson@MITLNS.MIT.EDU