I'll Make That: Basil Gnocchi

Basil Gnocchi

Ingredients:

6 medium potatoes or 6 cups cubed and peeled potatoes

1 cup flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 cup chopped basil

Method:

1. Wash, peel, and cube 6 medium potatoes, enough for 6 cups.

2. Place potatoes in cold, salted water. Bring to boil, boil until potatoes are tender and when poked with a fork slide off easily.

3. Drain potatoes completely. If you have a food mill, run potatoes through it until you have a fluffy mixture. If you don't have a food mill, which I don't, you can just mash the potato cubes with a fork.

3. Once potatoes are completely mashed with no lumps, gradually add flour, salt, pepper, and chopped basil. Stir together to make a ball.

4. Once you have a nice consistency with your dough, grab a small ball and roll into a log. You may need to sprinkle some extra flour on the surface to keep from sticking. Once you have a log formed, cut into 1/2 inch pieces.

5. With these half inch pieces, gentle roll each one along the prongs of the fork with your finger to make little grooves. These grooves will help your sauce cling to the gnocchi.

6. Once you have all your gnocchi formed, bring some heavily salted vegetable stock to a rolling boil. If you don't have any vegetable stock, you can always use heavily salted water. I use vegetable stock to add extra flavor. Once your liquid is boiling, gently drop gnocchi in, 8 or so at a time. Let them cook for 1- 2 minutes, they will float to the surface when done. Pull them out of the boiling liquid quickly and place in a strainer.

7. Once drained, toss them in your favorite sauce. You can use tomato sauce, pesto, vodka cream sauce, or any sauce you like.