CHEF JOHN'S POTATO GNOCCHI

Chef John's Potato Gnocchi image

When I found one lone russet potato at the bottom of the bin, I decided to make a small batch of gnocchi--the perfect thing to do with one potato. I like a very potato-y gnocchi, so I go with just enough flour to form the dough. Other people prefer a denser, more pasta-like dumpling, and use much more flour. I know many of you hate it when I say this, but you'll just have to figure it out as you go.

Provided by Chef John

Categories Main Dish Recipes Dumpling Recipes

Time 1h

Yield 2

Number Of Ingredients 5

Ingredients

1 large russet potato
1 egg, beaten
½ cup all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
1 cup marinara sauce, heated, or more as needed, divided
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving

Steps:

Place potato in microwave and cook on high setting until cooked through, about 7 minutes depending on the size of the potato.
Split potato and remove flesh. Push flesh through strainer using the back of a wooden spoon in order to achieve a granular texture. Add a pinch of salt and let cool for about 10 minutes. Pour in beaten egg and stir, using the tines of a fork and trying not to mash the potato. Add about 1/3 cup flour and continue gently stirring gently with the tines of a fork until mixture starts to come together. You may need another pinch or two of flour. Fold mixture with a spatula until dough forms a mass, adding flour as needed. Using your fingers, knead dough gently to form ball, about 10 seconds.
Shape dough into a fat log shape on a floured surface. Cut into 4 pieces. Gently roll each piece using your fingertips to form the "snake" or a long rope of dough, starting from the center and rolling toward the end until dough is about 1/2 inch thick. Cut each rope of dough into 1/2-inch pieces.
Roll each 1/2-inch piece quickly down the back of a fork's tines to form ridges.
Heat sauce in a skillet while you cook the gnocchi.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Reduce heat so water continues to simmer. Add gnocchi to water. As soon as they float to the surface after half a minute or so, cook for an additional 14 seconds. Transfer cooked gnocchi with a slotted spoon to the pan with the sauce. Stir until coated.
Serve topped with grated cheese.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 411.1 calories, Carbohydrate 73.6 g, Cholesterol 97.7 mg, Fat 7 g, Fiber 8.2 g, Protein 13.3 g, SaturatedFat 2.2 g, Sodium 597.4 mg, Sugar 12.8 g