Gnocchi
This is a great inexpensive, filling, healthy dinner. And if you’re willing to do some extra work now to make extra, it can be a wonderful meal many times in the future as well. Gnocchi are little potato dumplings, and they are my favorite type of pasta. You serve them with mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce and the cheese gets all gooey and stringy, and the gnocchi are dense and chewy, and it’s wonderful. Making them can be quite time consuming, but it’s definitely worth it. The pictures aren’t great because I had flour all over my hands (and all over every surface in the kitchen), but hopefully you can see the process to make them.
Gnocchi
Ingredients:
1 cup Dry Potato Flakes
1 cup Boiling Water
1 whole Egg Beaten
1 teaspoon Salt
⅛ teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
1-½ cup All-purpose Flour
Directions:
Place potato flakes in a medium-sized bowl. Pour in boiling water; stir until blended and let cool. Stir in the beaten egg, salt and pepper. Blend in enough flour to make a fairly stiff dough (you may need extra flour). Turn dough out onto a well-floured board and knead lightly.
Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a long thin roll. Cut into bite-sized pieces. Use 2 fingers to press down on each piece and pull it towards you slightly to sort of “roll” it in a little. This is hard to explain, but it gives the gnocchi their traditional shape. This step isn’t completely necessary, however. Use plenty of flour to keep them from sticking.
To cook, place a few gnocchi in boiling water with a little bit of oil to keep them from sticking. As the gnocchi rise to the top of the pot, remove thewith a slotted spoon. Repeat until all are cooked. Serve with mozzarella cheese and spaghetti sauce. Makes 2 servings.