gnocchi

By momofsixplus1

Ingredients

• 13 small russet potatoes
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp salt
• --------------------------------------------------
• 6 slices bacon
• 2 small, chopped onions
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• 1/2 of a small (6 ounce) can tomato paste

Preparation

Step 1

put 13 small (about 3 pounds) russet potatoes(only russets will do), unpeeled in a large pot of salted cold water. bring to a boil. cover and boil until tender-about 30 minutes. drain and set aside for a moment. put two large (four to five quart) pots of salted water on the back burners to bring to a boil. peel the potatoes as soon as you can handle them.

working quickly, put potatoes through a ricer or food mill onto a clean, flat surface(you can also push them through a strainer with a wooden spoon-but don't use a food processor or electric mixer) make a well in the center of the mound of potatoes. add 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1 large egg and 2 teaspoons salt. mix into potatoes with a fork. add more flour and more eggs until the dough is the consistency of play doh usually end up adding a total of about 1 1/2-2 cups flour and 2-3 eggs, but alot depends on the humidity, the heat of the kitchen and karma. in the end, you'll be mixing with your hands.

working quickly, cut a chunk(about 1/2 cup) of the dough and roll it into a snake about 3/4 inch in diameter and about 18 inches long. cut dumplings on a diagonal-they should be about the size of a pretzel nugget, about 1 inch each. dip a long-tined fork in flour and gently push and roll each dumpling along the fork lines with your thumb. each dumpling should have fork-prints on one side and a thumbprint on the other, and end up slightly curled

roll, shape and cut remaining dough,(it will
make about 216 gnocchi, and take about an hour)

the gnocchi can be shaped and arranged in a single layer on a cookie sheet, covered and refrigerated several hours ahead, or frozen indefinitely. drop three dozen gnocchi into each of the two pots of boiling water. when they rise to the surface, let them bob for another 15 seconds, then skim them out with a slotted spoon and put them into a large heated bowl. spoon on a bit of sauce(not too much) and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. cover loosely with foil. as each batch is done,scoop gnocchi out of pot and layer on top pf cooked gnocchi,
---------------------------------------------
cut 6 slices bacon into small pieces and cook in small saucepan. in the same saucepan, cook 2 small, chopped onions(2/3 cup) in about 2 tablespoons olive oil until translucent. add an 8oz can of tomato sauce and 1/2 small (6 oz) can of tomato paste. cover and simmer on medium-low heat 1/2 hour. remove from heat and keep covered, right before layering gnocchi in serving bowl, stir in bacon and 1 1/2 tsp of butter.