Potato Gnocchi

By Maverick19

Recipe courtesy of Mario Batali

Ingredients

• 3 pounds starchy russet potatoes
• 2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 extra large egg
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 2 cups homemade tomato sauce
• 12 fresh basil leaves, *optional

Preparation

Step 1

1. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and add cool water to cover. Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes until soft, about 45 minutes. While still warm, peel the potatoes and pass them through a food mill, onto a clean pasta board.
2. Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Set up an ice bath next to the stovetop with 4 cups of ice and 3 cups of water.
3. Make a well in the center of the potatoes and sprinkle them with the flour. Place the egg and a pinch of salt in the center of the well, and using a fork, stir the egg into the flour and potatoes. Bring the dough together, kneading gently until a ball is formed. Continue to knead gently for four minutes more, or until the dough is dry to the touch. Cut a tennis ball size chunk of dough off the main ball and roll it into a dowel about 1/4 inch thick.
4. Cut across the dowel to form lozenges about 1 inch long. Roll each down the tines of a fork to form a traditional gnocchi shape. Repeat with the remaining dough. Keep the formed gnocchi on a lightly floured baking sheet.
5. Drop a third of the gnocchi into the boiling water. When they are floating aggressively, after 3 to 4 minutes of cooking, remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon and transfer to the ice bath. Repeat with the remaining batches of gnocchi and allow all the gnocchi to cool in the ice bath. Drain the cooked gnocchi well, stir in the olive oil, cover, and refrigerate until ready to cook. The gnocchi will keep in the fridge for up to two days.
6. When you are ready to cook and serve the gnocchi, bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a pasta pot and add 2 Tbsp of salt. Put the tomato sauce in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth, then pour the sauce into a 12-14 inch sauté pan. Gently bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. At this time, place the gnocchi into the pasta pot and cook until they all float, then use a slotted spoon to carefully transfer the gnocchi to the pan with the sauce. Raise the heat to medium and toss gently for about 30 seconds. *Tear basil leaves, add to the pan and toss together for 30 more seconds. Serve immediately