Excerpted from Friday Night Dinners by Bonnie Stern
Even though gnocchi are Italian (Biba Caggiano taught me how to make the best gnocchi ever), this is a great recipe to include in a local dinner. Use an old-fashioned food mill or ricer for perfectly smooth mashed potatoes. You could also make this using half celeriac, squash or sweet potatoes.
ingredients
directions
Bake potatoes in a preheated 400°F (200°C) oven for 1 hour, or until very tender. Cut into quarters and cool slightly. Peel and put through a food mill or ricer. Stir in salt.
While potatoes are still warm, knead in flour 1/2 cup (125mL) at a time. Knead until dough is only slightly sticky.
Divide dough into four pieces and roll into ropes about 3/4 inch (2cm) thick. Cut into 1-inch (2.5cm) pieces and roll each piece along the tines of a fork (to create indentations to hold the sauce).
Place gnocchi on a baking sheet lined with a floured tea towel and refrigerate for up to a day.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add gnocchi and cook for about 3 minutes, or until they all come to the surface and water returns to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes longer. Drain well.
Toss immediately with butter, sage and salt.