Welcome to the test kitchen......Potato Gnocchi

I bit off more then I could chew....

I am not good at knowing how long things take.  I think it only takes me 5 minutes to dry my hair.  I think it takes 15 minutes to get to the airport (even though I have never made it in less then 30).  I think it takes 7-9 minutes to cook pasta, often forgetting to factor in that I have to boil the water first. 

My point.  Potato Gnocchi takes a long time. Longer then I gave it credit for taking.  So my lil' sis was in town and I wanted to impress her so I planned a fancy dinner.  We ended up eating this meal in two Phases.  Phase #1 was some Pesto Chicken wrapped in Pancetta.  Phase #2 occured approximatley 2 hours later, when we finally completed the Potato Gnocchi.  Oh boy. 

Chicken Pesto wrapped in Pancetta

I was inspired by the Internet Cooking Princess's Sauteed Ricotta and Chive Gnocchi.  Her version looked easy and delicious and it was just that.  I'm not sure if I went wrong somewhere while following the recipe, because it seemed to yield enough Potato Gnocchi to feed the little old woman who loved in a shoe's entire family for about a week.  We gave up after we rolled and boiled about 52 of the little guys.  My recommendation? Do it on a Sunday when you have lots of time. Enjoy!

Sauteed Ricotta and Chive Gnocchi

by: the Internet Cooking Princess

3 Large russet potatoes              1/2 c. Parmesan cheese

2 Eggs                                        1 c. Ricotta
1/3 c. Chives                              2 c. Flour
Kosher salt                                 2 T. Olive oil


1) Bring a large pot of water to boil and add the russet potatoes. Boil for 45 minutes, draing the water through a colander, and let the potatoes cool.

2) Once the potatoes have cooled down, remove and discard the skins. In a large bowl, mash the potatoes. The mixture needs to be as smooth as possible, so use an immersion blender or hand mixer if that helps. Then, add the eggs and stir into the mixture.

3) Once the eggs have been incorporated, stir in the ricotta, parmesan, and chives.

4) At this point, the mixture should be very thick, but it needs to be as thick and maliable as dough. Add the flour and stir together until you get that consistency. The mixture will still be a little sticky, that's ok.

5)Take a handful or two of flour and scatter it on a smooth surface. Place your dough on the flour and roll around until it's more dough-like and doesn't stick to everything in sight.

6) Begin rolling with your hands as if you're forming a large snake. You will end up getting a very large tube of dough, about two feet long.

7) Cut this into quarters, and continue rolling each individual segment until you form rolls that are no bigger than a quarter in circumference. (Any bigger and you'll have difficulty cooking them.)

8) From the skinnier rolls, take a knife or pinch off little sections and roll them around in the palm of your hand to make the gnocchi. You may need to continue dredging them in a little flour as you go, which is fine. Set all the finished gnocchi on a large plate to the side.

9) Once all the gnocchi have been formed. Dump them into a boiling pot of hot, salted water. Boil the gnocchi for five minutes to ensure their centers are nice and dense. (They will automatically start popping up to the top of the pot once they're cooking, but make sure you give them a little extra time in the water.)

10) Drain the boiled gnocchi through a colander. Then, in a very large sauté pan over medium high heat, add two tablespoons of oil and butter. Add just enough gnocchi to the pan where they have enough space to get a light, brown crust around them.

11) Add more oil, butter, and gnocchi when the first batch is done. Lightly season the gnocchi with a little kosher salt. Then you eat, hopefully along with the other food you made because you get them done all at the same time.  This would be a GREAT recipe to make with kids. Be sure to paper the floor.

PS: This is not a good recipe to make if your cleaning lady the same day you paid your cleaning lady to spend 4 hours cleaning your house.....i learned that the hard way. 

This is my sister Elyse, she was my cooking assistant. She let's me boss her in the kitchen and that is why I love her. Happy Early Birthday Sister!