Homemade Gnocchi

This one is really from Food Network, but I made it and loved it and its going to be a repeat occasion for sure.  Mario Batali is a star chef for a reason, folks!  Trust me, this is totally worth not buying them at the store--they're lighter and more tender and not so dense and dried out like store bought.  So here we go, I hope you like them as much as we did.

Gnocchi

3 lbs potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 c flour
pinch of salt
1 egg
1/2 c vegetable oil
extra flour for kneading

Boil potatoes in salted water til very soft.  Drain, and then run them through a food mill or potato ricer (prevents lumps and makes them smoother, which means smoother dough) into a large mixing bowl.  Make a well in the potatoes and sprinkle the 2 cups of all purpose flour over the potatoes, and then add the egg and the oil.  Mix with a fork til soft dough forms, and then move to a well floured pastry board to knead.  Gently knead more flour into it til it becomes firm and not sticky, about 4 minutes.  Divide into 8 small balls of dough and then roll each ball of dough into a rope.  Cut the rope into 1 inch pieces and then roll them on the back of a fork to mark them. Place on a baking sheet dusted with flour.  Recipe makes about 3 lbs of gnocchi, or 12 servings.

We cooked a bit of it tonight and froze the rest for later on the cookie sheets.  Once they are frozen solid you can move them from the cookie sheets to separate bags.  You'll want to freeze them on the sheet to keep them from sticking together and forming a large ball of dough instead of lots of little dumplings.

Serving Suggestion:  Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Drop in gnocchi and cook til they float to the top, about 3-4 minutes.  Drain.  Saute some sliced mushrooms in a bit of butter.  Add cooked gnocchi to mushrooms and continue to cook with the mushrooms.  Add some pesto and stir til combined and heated through.  Serve with parmesan cheese on top.  You'll love it!