My Adventure With Gnocci

What is Gnocci? It's like a mix between a dumpling and pasta, but it's make with potatoes. Basically you cook the potato and mash it through a mesh strainer to get it as granular ad possible. Once it's cold add egg and flour and kneed into a dough ball. Then you roll it out into a thin line and cut it into small cubes. Then if you're feeling fancy you press and roll on the back of a fork to make grooves. Boil like pasta and add to sauce. Sounds easy right?

That's what I thought. I'd heard of gnocci and even seen recipe videos online so I thought "I can do this". Well it started easy. I peeled and chopped potatoes and cooked them. Then I let then strain for until cool and dry then pressed through a mesh strainer. Which isn't as easy as it might sound. You really have to press hard... Anyway so then I let it sit in the fridge for a bit while I did other stuff. Once I was ready I took it out and added egg and flour... then more flour... and more flour... and more flour... 0.o

Then I added more flour and more and more and more. In small amounts of like 1/4 cup but still. It was just so sticky and wet and wouldn't come together. Finally it came together but it was still so sticky I couldn't roll it out so I kept adding flour and kept adding flour.

Finally it worked out right and I got it cut into tiny cubes. I looked at the fork and laughed... Then threw the gnocci into the water ungrooved. They cooked and turned out great! Except for the flour consumption it really was a great dish. I put them in a bechamel (as always) and it was amazing.

Will I ever make it again? Well this is the question I ask myself every time I make pasta. With both it takes time, it's not extremely easy, it's messy, and it takes a whole bunch of flour. Answer? Absolutely! I love how it tastes and the texture. I'm going to experiment with different methods and what not but I will absolutely make it again.

Would I suggest you try it? Probably not. I wouldn't wish the struggle on my closest friends or worst enemies. But if you're interested google it or something. I have no recipe for you yet.