Potato Gnocchi With Tomato Basil Sauce

Ingredients:

Gnocchi Dough

• 4 large russet potatoes about 2 pounds
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon beaten egg
• 2 cups all purpose flour approximately

Tomato Basil Sauce

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• pinch of crushed chili pepper
• 24 ounce jar Passata Italian strained tomatoes I used San Marzano
• 2 sprigs of basil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup diced mozzarella
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Procedures:

How To make Gnocchi:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Wash the potatoes under cold running water and pat dry.
• Use a large knife and make a deep incision length-wise into each potato.
• Place the potatoes on a cookie sheet and bake until they are tender, for about 1 hour.
• Let potatoes cool a little but do peel them while they are still a bit warm.
• Put them through a potato ricer. Alternately you can use a potato masher or a fork.
• Place the mashed potatoes in a large bowl.
• Add in the salt, 1 tablespoon of beaten egg and 1 and 1/2 cups of flour.
• Using your hands, mix well just until the flour and potatoes stick together forming a rough looking dough.
• Transfer the dough to a wooden board or work surface.
• Knead the dough lightly, gradually adding a little bit of the remaining flour if the dough is sticking too heavily on your work surface. (I did not need all of the remaining 1/2 cup more of flour)
• Knead for 2 to 3 minutes.
• The dough should be smooth, pliable and just a little bit sticky.
• Cut off a section of dough at a time.
• Roll the piece of dough with a back and forth motion until you get the thickness of your index finger.
• Cut the roll into 1 inch pieces.
• Repeat with the remaining dough.
• To shape the gnocchi, I used my little wooden gnocchi board with ridges.
• Alternately, you can use the back of a fork .
• Hold the fork at 45 degree angle, with the tines down on the work surface with its' inside curve towards you.
• Take a gnocchi role and press it with your index finger against the tip end of the fork while quickly sliding it up along the length of the fork tins.
• Or simply use your index and middle fingers by pressing both fingers down into the gnocchi and rolling quickly towards you. The gnocchi will flip over and have a pretty indentation.
• Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
• Transfer the gnocchi on a lightly floured cookie sheet and cover with a clean dish towel.
• Set aside while you prepare the sauce.

Tomato Basil Sauce:

• Heat the oil in a medium sauce pot over medium low heat and sauté the garlic with the crushed chilli pepper just until fragrant, taking care not to burn the garlic. (should take less then a minute).
• Add in the passata (Italian strained tomatoes), basil, salt and pepper and stir well.
• Fill the bottle of passata three quarters full with water. Give it a good swirl and add this to the sauce.
• Bring the sauce to a boil then lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes or until the sauce thickens and the sweet concentrated flavors of the tomatoes come through.
• While the sauce simmers, fill a large sauce pot with water and bring to a rapid boil.
• Add salt to the boiling water and then the gnocchi.
• Once the gnocchi come to surface they are pretty much ready. Leave them floating for about 10 seconds. (If they stay in the water too long, they will become mushy).
• Remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon and place them on a serving platter.
• Pour a little of the sauce over the gnocchi, stir to combine then mix in the diced mozzarella.
• The heat of the tomato sauce will slowly melt the mozzarella.
• Divide the gnocchi onto four plates. Top with more sauce and Parmesan cheese.
• Serve while still hot.