Homemade Potato Gnocchi with Fast Tomato Sauce

Surprisingly easy homemade potato gnocchi with fast tomato sauce makes for a cozy and delicious dinner.

Are you ready for this gnocchi party?!

It’s just about the only party we’re having these days, so.

COME ON IN. (Virtually. Because, you know.)

I hope you wore your stretchy pants because things are about to get messy!

(Laughing to myself because ARE THERE EVEN ANY OTHER KINDS OF PANTS. Not anymore. Right? RIGHT!!!???!!)

Fun fact: every time I even think about making gnocchi, my first instinct is to reach for an Advil because I think it’s going to be a total headache.

I think I had one or two traumatic gnocchi-making experiences early on in my learning-to-cook adventures that were maybe a bit too ambitious for my skill level at the time. If I’m remembering correctly, those were also times when I attempted to make gnocchi on a weeknight in 30 minutes or less. HA. Bad life choice.

The first few times you attempt gnocchi, it should be a leisurely, totally NOT time-pressured experience. We are not on MasterChef guys, let’s not make our lives more difficult.

With that being said, this gnocchi actually is really easy and can totally be made in under an hour. Maybe even under 40 minutes if we’re getting really crazy.

First, you start with potatoes! Peel em, boil em, bake em (just for 5 minutes to remove any excess moisture), rice em, then (gently!) mix em with a butter/egg yolk/flour mixture. Emphasis on the gently because if you’re too firm with your gnocchi dough they will turn into dense gummy weights in your mouth rather than the light pillows they were always intended to be.

Then roll them out (again, GENTLY!) and cut them into cute little nugget shapes. Give them one last boil for about 2 minutes and they are ready to go.

Next up comes the sauce, which is possibly one of the easiest things I have ever made and shockingly delicious for how quickly it comes together.

We’re talking less than ten minutes in the pan. SO DOABLE.

But make sure you use good fresh tomatoes here because this sauce is so simple they won’t be able to hide behind anything.

Toss everything together, top with parmesan cheese, and feast.

Homemade Potato Gnocchi with Fast Tomato Sauce

 

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Surprisingly easy homemade potato gnocchi with fast tomato sauce makes for a cozy and delicious dinner.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the gnocchi

• 18 oz peeled Yukon gold potatoes
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 4 egg yolks
• 1⅓ cup (160 g) all purpose flour
• ¼ tsp finely grated nutmeg
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

For the fast tomato sauce

• ½ cup olive oil
• 1½ lb tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 9 fresh basil leaves, torn
• ¾ tsp salt, plus more to taste
• ¾ tsp red pepper flakes
• ½ cup parmesan cheese

Instructions

For the gnocchi

1. Heat the oven to 400F. Fill a large pot with water and season with salt. Allow to come to a boil. Cover and leave it on low heat to simmer until you're ready to use it.
2. Meanwhile, cut the potatoes into eighths and place them in a large empty ovenproof pot. Cover with cold water and heat over high heat. Once the water starts to boil, decrease the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 10-12 minutes.
3. Drain the potatoes and place them back into the pot, and then into the oven. Bake for 4-5 minutes to rid them of any excess moisture. While they bake, beat together the butter and egg yolks until smooth. Set aside.
4. Remove the potatoes from the oven and pass them through a potato ricer into a large bowl. Fold in the butter-egg mixture, mixing until it is incorporated, then add in the flour, nutmeg, and ½ tsp salt. Mix until just incorporated.
5. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and, with a light hand, press it into a ball. Cut it into quarters. Work with just one piece at a time, leaving the rest covered under a dish towel.
6. Roll each piece of dough into a skinny log, about ¾-inch wide. Dust with flour as needed to keep it from sticking. Use a bench scraper or paring knife to cut the log into ¾-inch dumplings. Add to a flour-dusted baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.
7. Shape the gnocchi using a gnocchi board or the back of a fork to create its characteristic ridges. Drop gently into the boiling water that has been simmering on the stove. Once they start to float, cook for another 30 seconds, then drain and toss with the olive oil.

For the sauce

1. Pour the olive oil into a large Dutch oven and cook until hot, Add the tomatoes and garlic, then smooth in the pot into a single layer. Add in the basil, salt, and red pepper flakes. Give a stir and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until thickened. Season to taste with salt.
2. Toss with the gnocchi and top with parmesan cheese just before serving.

Notes

Recipe from Shaya

3.5.3208