Gnocchi 101

Gnocchi means "lump" in Italian, and that's exactly what it is, lumps of dough, (we southerners would call them dumplings), cooked in boiling water and served with any number of scrumptious Italian sauces. Sound simple? Hardly. The road to gnocchi is littered with the bodies of cooks (myself included) who thought, "oh, I can do that," and tried, without doing their culinary homework. That being said, it's well worth the effort to learn to prepare gnocchi properly, and once you master a few little tricks, it becomes almost as easy as it sounds.

My love affair with gnocchi began, appropriately enough, in a lovely little restaurant in Siena where they served the most delicate little puffs of dough in a spicy Arrabbiata Sauce as an "entree" (that's appetizer for us here in the US). It was so good that we ate there three nights in a row, paired the gnocchi with a trip (or two) to the Antipasto table and made a meal of it.

Back home I bought a popular Italian cookbook, followed the recipe for potato gnocchi to the letter, and had a heart stopping moment of absolute despair as I watched them fall apart in the boiling water. Fortunately I had a box of dried pasta to serve with the delicious Bolognase Sauce I had prepared, but it was years before I mustered up the courage to try making gnocchi again.

Then, for our anniversary this year the husband gave me a "Gnocchi Workshop" cooking class at Sur la Table, and I learned what had possibly gone wrong. There are three reasons gnocchi might dissolve in the water. First of all, never, but never, use a gnocchi recipe that doesn't call for egg! It's an essential binder and although you'll find gnocchi recipes galore, (like the one I had previously used), that omit the egg, you are courting disaster. Secondly, my potatoes may have been overcooked. You want them just done, not falling apart mushy. And finally, maybe I needed more flour. If your dough is sticky after you've added all the flour, add a little more so the dough is firm but still moist.

Anyway, I'm happy to say you won't need to go to Italy to fall in love with gnocchi. (Although it's not a bad idea at all!) Just use the recipes I'll be sharing over the next few days and start your love affair with gnocchi in the comfort of your own kitchen.

Another great thing about these recipes is that they make a pile of gnocchi, (enough to serve 6 as a main course or many more as a side dish), and you can freeze them. I usually make up a batch and freeze them in three or four bags of two-servings each. Then when we want it, I can just take it out of the freezer, whip up (or defrost) a sauce, and make a quick meal.

For starters, here's a nice, fluffy, classic, potato gnocchi recipe, (although, interesting to note, the Italians didn't use potatoes to make gnocchi until the potato was introduced to Europe in the 16th century), and a rich, meaty Bolognese Sauce. (Though any tomato sauce or pesto will complement it nicely.) Enjoy.

POTATO GNOCCHI
(6 servings)

6 large Russet potatoes
2 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt

Boil whole, unpeeled, potatoes in a large, partially covered, pot, with boiling water and a dash of salt. Cook until potatoes can be easily pierced through with blade of a paring knife. (Do not overcook)

As soon as the potatoes are cool enough to touch, but are still warm, (the hotter the better), rice them in a potato ricer. (The peeling will be caught in the ricer. Pick any bits that fall through out of the potatoes.) Put riced potatoes in a large bowl. Add the butter, baking powder and salt. Mix well.

In another bowl, beat eggs and milk together. Add to potato mixture and mix well.

Gradually add flour to form a firm but moist dough. (Dough should not be sticky. If sticky, add more flour.)

Roll dough into long ropes about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 1/2 inch long pieces. After cutting the gnocchi, press each piece lightly with your thumb to form a small indentation on one side. Place gnocchi on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Cover with another sheet of waxed paper and continue to form dough. (You can actually stack a couple of layers of gnocchi, separated with waxed paper, on the same baking sheet.)

Gnocchi may be frozen or cooked within 3 hours. Cook in batches in a big, deep pot of boiling, generously salted water. (Don't overcrowd the pot.) When the gnocchi float to the surface, cook for 5 minutes, lift from water with a slotted spoon, drain and add sauce. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese,

To freeze, put the tray with the gnocchi in the freezer. When they are solid, scrape them into a plastic freezer bag, seal and use as you wish. To thaw, place in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Gnocchi thaw quickly, in a couple of hours. Cook as above.

No time to thaw, just dump the frozen gnocchi into the pot of boiling water, add about a minute to the cooking time, and you're good to go. What could be simpler?

BOLOGNESE SAUCE
(6 to 8 servings)

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 ribs celery, finely diced
2 medium carrots, finely diced
2 medium sweet onions, finely diced
1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
2 cups red wine
12 ounce can tomato paste
2 cups milk
Salt and black pepper to taste

Heat olive oil a heavy medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Cook celery, carrots and onions until soft and lightly browned, about 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add ground meats, turn heat to high and cook until meat is done and all the fat has cooked off, about 15 minutes. Add red wine and cook until liquid is evaporated. Add tomato paste. Cook with meat for about 5 minutes.

Add milk, season with salt and pepper, and cook over low heat for about 1 hour. Adjust seasoning and serve over gnocchi or your favorite pasta.

If you're only making a couple of main dish servings or side dish servings, it freezes well for later use.