Comfort food - Homemade Gnocchi

Comfort Food – Homemade Gnocchi

The Holidays for me are about more than lights and family and giving. Don’t get me wrong - those are all very important aspects of the season, but I have two very important words for you: Bulking Season. So, today I’m coming at you with a recipe that really defines comfort food. This savory and delicious meal is great for the whole family and extremely versatile, not to mention super fun to make. So let’s dive in to this awesome Potato Gnocchi recipe, from the NE Seasonal kitchen to yours.

Ingredients:

Dough-

3 Large Idaho Potatoes

2 Egg Yolks

1 Cup of Flour

1 Tablespoon Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 Pinch of Sea Salt

Sauce-

1 Tablespoon Flour

4 Tablespoons Butter

3 Sprigs of Thyme

2 Cloves of Garlic (minced)

Pinch of Sea Salt

Freshly Ground Pepper

To begin, drizzle the whole potatoes with olive oil and a pinch of sea salt, then wrap them in foil and bake for an hour at 400°F. Once they’re finished, make sure they are fork tender and let them cool for about 10 minutes (they should be warm not cold). On a clean surface, run the potatoes through a potato ricer. If you don’t have one (and I didn’t) you can use a wire colander and push the potatoes through it. They need to have a uniform fine texture, so don’t just use a fork to mash them up. This process keeps them nice and fluffy and light. After you have the potatoes all riced, make a well in the middle and drop your two egg yolks into it. Break up the yolks on their own then slowly incorporate them into the potatoes. Slowly add your flour and create a dough. Add flour to the surface to allow it movement. Add a pinch of sea salt and your grated parmesan, then mix the dough by hand until fully incorporated. Make sure you only handle the dough until it is mixed, and try not to handle it too much for it can make them tough. Once it is combined, cut the dough into 6 small equal sized pieces and roll them into similar ½ inch dowel shapes. Line them up and cut into small pillows, then run them along the back side of a fork to give them a little grove (the grove is important to help the gnocchi hold the sauce).

Once you have your gnocchi made, drop them into salted boiling water in batches. Have a hot saucepan ready with your butter nobs sizzling and transfer the gnocchi over once they float in the boiling water. Add the flour, thyme, minced garlic, a tablespoon or so of the boiling gnocchi water, and the salt and pepper. Sautee until lightly browned and crispy on the outside. Serve hot with freshly grated parmesan on top and a drizzle of olive oil.

I hope you enjoy this delicious and hearty gnocchi recipe! Make sure to share your creations with us using the hashtag #NEGnocchi, can’t wait to see what you all come up with! Happy bulking!