My Nonni's Potato Gnocchi (Gnocchi di Patate)

*Serves 5-6

• 3 Yukon gold or russet potatoes (medium)
• 2 eggs (beaten with whisk)
• Drop of olive oil
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of grated nutmeg
• Pinch of black pepper
• 24 ounces of My Nonni’s Italian Meat Sauce (2 pouches)
• Parmesan cheese for garnish

• Peel the potatoes and boil in pot of water until cooked, about 40 minutes. Do not add salt to water.
• Drain the potatoes and let them stand just until cool enough to handle. (The hotter the potatoes are when they are peeled and riced, the lighter the gnocchi will be.)
• Press the potatoes through a ricer or a food mill (use fine disc) into a large bowl and let them cool slightly.
• In a small bowl, mix the egg, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
• Place flour onto working surface. Make a well in the middle of the flour mound and pour the riced potatoes into the well.
• Drizzle a few drops of olive oil over potatoes.
• Make a well in the potatoes and pour eggs, salt, pepper, and nutmeg mixture into well.
• Use a bench scraper, and working quickly, mix the flour into the potatoes and egg mixture.
• Fold and mix until it forms consistency of loose dough. (The less you have to mix the better it will be for the dough.)
• Add a little flour to your work surface and start to knead the dough gently with hands, moving back and forth.
• Roll gently until you have formed a large roll.
• Wash hands, dust the dough and work surface and cut dough into 6 pieces using your bench scraper.
• Adding flour as necessary and using both hands, gently roll each piece of dough into a rope ½ inch wide.
• Slice ropes, using knife or bench scraper, into ½ inch pieces.
• Use a fork to gently roll the pieces of gnocchi to create a ridged appearance.
• Set on a baking sheet dusted with flour or with a floured kitchen towel and continue forming gnocchi from the remaining dough balls. Repeat the whole process with the remaining pieces of dough.
• At this point the gnocchi must be cooked immediately or frozen.
• To freeze, place baking sheets in a level position in the freezer. Freeze until solid, about 3 hours. Gather the frozen gnocchi into resealable freezer bags. Frozen gnocchi can be stored in the freezer 4 to 6 weeks.
• Pour My Nonni’s Italian Meat Sauce into a large sauté pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce heat to low and keep sauce at a low simmer.

To cook gnocchi:

• Bring 6 quarts of salted water to a vigorous boil in a large pot over high heat.
• Drop the pieces of gnocchi into the boiling water a few at a time, stirring gently and continuously with a wooden spoon. Cook in batches.
• Cook the gnocchi, stirring gently, until tender, about 1 minute after they rise to surface (about 5-6 minutes total). Remove with a slotted spoon and drain before putting them into sauce.
• Cook remaining gnocchi, if necessary.
• Stir cooked gnocchi’s in sauce and heat for about 1 minute and serve hot.
• Garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

To cook frozen gnocchi:

• Frozen gnocchi must be cooked directly from the freezer in plenty of boiling water, or they will stick together.
• Bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in each of two large pots.
• Shake any excess flour from the frozen gnocchi and split them between the two pots, stirring gently as you add them to the boiling water.
• It is important that the water return to a boil as soon as possible.
• Drain the gnocchi as described above, and sauce and serve as mentioned above.

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