Gnocchi has been a staple on the menu at Vie from the beginning. Here’s a recipe that’s great for making at home, with easy-to-find ingredients. Hope you enjoy!

(Serves six +)

Gnocchi

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (about 3 large potatoes)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
Tomato sauce (recipe follows)
Pecorino, for grating

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Oil a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper.
Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with at least 1 inch of water. Add a generous pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook until tender, about 40 minutes for large potatoes. Drain the potatoes and let them steam in their skins. Once cool enough to handle (but still quite warm), peel and quarter the potatoes. Spread the pieces on the prepared baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake the potatoes until fairly dry, about 20 minutes.
While warm, pass the potatoes through a food mill fitted with a medium plate. Season with about ½ teaspoon of salt and a few pinches of pepper: The potatoes should taste well-seasoned. Using a spatula, mix in butter, followed by the egg and the flour. Mix until the dough just starts to come together.
Lightly flour 2 baking sheets; set aside. Lightly dust a work surface with flour. Gently knead the dough a few times (do not overwork the dough or the gnocchi will be tough). Using a bench scraper or knife, divide the dough into 6 or 7 even portions. Using your fingertips, roll each portion of dough out into a long dowel, about 20 inches long and ½ inch in diameter. With the bench scraper or knife, cut the dowel into 1-inch pieces. Spread the cut gnocchi in a single layer on the floured baking sheets and refrigerate until needed. Alternatively, the gnocchi can be frozen. You will have about 9-10 dozen gnocchi.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi. After they float to the surface, simmer briefly (the total cooking time will be about 2 minutes). Meanwhile in a wide, shallow pot, bring the tomato sauce to a gentle simmer, thinning with water from the gnocchi if it looks too thick. Using a wire skimmer or slotted spoon, lift the gnocchi out of the water and drop into the tomato sauce. Gently stir and cook until the sauce clings to the gnocchi, about 1 minute more.
To serve, divide the gnocchi into warmed bowls and grate pecorino on top.

Tips

Everyone claims to have a trick to ensure that their potato gnocchi is lighter than the other guy’s. It’s very simple, actually. Cook the potatoes in their skins, let them steam for a few minutes, then dry them out in the oven. I also like to work with the potatoes while they’re still warm.
This recipe easily serves six, though extra gnocchi freeze well for up to a month.

Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
7 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
6 cups canned tomatoes
Kosher salt
3 sprigs thyme
3 sprigs oregano

Directions

In a 4- to 6-quart pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Stir in the onion and gently sweat until soft, 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the red pepper flakes, then pour in the tomatoes. Taste the tomatoes to gauge their seasoning, then season with salt as needed. Stir in the thyme and oregano. Gently simmer until the tomatoes have thickened and are no longer watery, about 30 minutes. Remove the sprigs and taste again, adjusting seasoning if needed.

Recipe from The Preservation Kitchen: The Craft of Making and Cooking with Pickles, Preserves, and Aigre-doux, by Paul Virant with Kate Leahy, pages 286 and 287