Homemade Potato Gnocchi

Don’t tell anyone, but I’m in love. No, it’s not with another man. (One man in my life is plenty!) I’m in love with Homemade Potato Gnocchi. I love potatoes- even though I try to limit my intake so they don’t expand my waistline. So it just makes sense that I’m mad about this Italian dish. Homemade Gnocchi- pronounced “NOH-kee”- is relatively easy to make. It’s a good recipe to make if you need to put a meal on your family table F-A-S-T. You can make a big pot of Gnocchi, serve it for dinner, then freeze the leftovers. Then, whenever you need a quick, delicious meal again, just thaw the dumplings, add a tasty sauce, and serve them again!

You can make several variations of these Italian dumplings, but I like these recipes the best:

Homemade Cheesy-Potato Gnocchi

Start out by washing and boiling a pound of white potatoes until they are tender when they’re pierced with a fork. Mash the potatoes up and add in a teaspoon of butter or margarine. Mix in half a cup of white flour, a fourth of a cup of cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Use a spoon to make a divot in the middle of the mixture. Then, add two beaten eggs into the divot; mix in well to form a dough.

In the meantime, place a pot of water on your stove over medium-high heat.

If the dough of your homemade Cheesy-Potato Gnocchi is too thick, add a bit of milk. On the other hand, if it’s too runny, sprinkle in a little more white flour until it’s a consistency you can work with.

Note:If you have the time, the dough will be a little easier to slice if you place it in your refrigerator for about thirty minutes first.

Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Then, cut the dough into one-inch strips with a sharp knife. Roll each dough strip in your hands so they become roundish in shape. Use the sharp knife again to cut the dough strips into one-inch pieces.

Once the pot of water is boiling, stir in a half-teaspoon of table salt into the water. Drop the Gnocchi into the pot. You’ll have to watch them so you’ll know when they’re done. It will take about seven to eight minutes for them to cook. However, you’ll know they’re done for sure when they float to the top of the pot. As they float, use a slotted spoon to remove them. Place them in a cooking dish.

Now, all you have to do is add a delicious tomato sauce, cheese sauce, or mix them up with some butter and parsley, or, Parmesan cheese, and you’re ready to enjoy your homemade Cheesy-Potato Gnocchi.

To round out your meal, you can add meat or poultry and a green salad or a vegetable.

For those of you who like sweet potatoes better than white potatoes, here’s a recipe to suit your taste too!

Homemade Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Start this Gnocchi recipe by putting a large pot of water on your stove to boil. Wash three large sweet potatoes and pierce them with a fork. Microwave them until they are tender. Allow the potatoes to cool down some, then peel with with a sharp knife; discard the peelings. Mash the potatoes up in a bowl. Then, add a cup of white flour to the bowl, plus, a half teaspoon of salt, and an eighth of a teaspoon of black pepper.

Mix the ingredients together until they form a dough. If the dough of your homemade Sweet Potato Gnocchi is too thick, add a bit of milk. On the other hand, if it’s too runny, sprinkle in more white flour until it’s a consistency you can work with.

Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Then, cut it into one-inch strips. Roll the strips in between your hands until they are kind of round on the sides. Use a sharp knife to cut the strips into half-inch pieces.

Once the water is boiling, add a half- teaspoon of salt to it. Then, stir in the Gnocchi pieces and allow them to boil until they float to the top of the pot. Remove them with a slotted spoon into a baking dish. Serve your homemade Sweet Potato Gnocchi with any type of sauce you wish. Enjoy!