Ingredients

Gnocchi

4 large russet potatoes

100 grams all purpose flour

1 egg yolk

Sauce

3 tablespoons butter

1 leek, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced

1 clove minced garlic

20 mL white wine (optional, we prefer pinot grigio)

Pinch of dried oregano

Red pepper flake to taste

Fresh Parmesan

Optional: Pancetta

Method

Gnocchi - See Basics with Babish for additional instruction

1. Heat oven to 375 F

2. Wash potatoes and poke all over with a fork. Cook potatoes in oven for approximately one hour or until you can easily pierce with a paring knife.

3. When potatoes done, safely grab the potatoes with your choice of towel, oven mitts, or heat-resistant gloves and peel potatoes to release steam. Allow potatoes to cool for approximately one hour plus.

4. Once potatoes are cool, use a potato ricer or grater to grate potatoes into a pile of fluff on a clean countertop or large baking sheet. Spread into an even layer.

5. For every 500 grams of potato, beat one egg yolk and spread evenly over the potatoes. Sift over 100 grams of all purpose flour for every 500 grams of potato as well.

6. Mix together the potato, egg, and flour mixture until well-incorporated and forming a fluffy dough. Knead the dough for approximately 90-180 seconds dependent on how light or tough you want your gnocchi.

7. Roll dough out into a log and separate into four even chunks. Sift additional flour onto a clean surface and roll out each chunk into a long strip of gnocchi dough approximately 1/2 to 3/4 an inch thick.

8. Using a knife or bench scraper, cut even gnocchi, approximately 1/2 to 1 inch long. Pinch the middle to form small, pillow-like gnocchi. See the link above for additional shapes.

9. Cook gnocchi either immediately (will take 90 seconds to cook) or later after frozen (will take approximately 3-4 minutes to cook).

Sauce, Bring it Together

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil to prepare for quick, gnocchi cooking later.

2. While bringing water up to a boil, prepare the leeks by slicing in half lengthwise and thinly slicing. To wash, place in a bowl and fill with water. Wait for sediment between the layers to sink to the bottom, and remove your clean leek. Mince garlic.

3. Melt butter in a saute pan. Slightly brown butter and add leeks and oregano. Cook down leeks for 7-8 minutes as butter continues to brown. At 4 minute mark, add in red pepper flakes to taste.

4. Add in garlic and cook until fragrant. Add in white wine and let wine reduce completely. As the wine reduces, salt the boiling water, and add your fresh gnocchi to the pot. If fresh, these gnocchi will take 90 seconds to cook, so timing will be key so that your sauce does not overcook. If gnocchi are frozen, adjust your timing accordingly.

5. When your gnocchi float in the water, they are done and ready to add into your sauce. Add gnocchi directly into the leek butter sauce and brown until slightly golden brown on each side.

6. Plate, and grate fresh Parmesan over the gnocchi.

7. Optional Pancetta: if using pancetta, fry starting in cold pan until brown and crispy. Remove. Leave 1 tablespoon of pancetta’s fat and add butter. Proceed to step 1 above.

Nugget

Don’t be intimidated by fresh gnocchi and fresh pasta. While lots of steps are involved, the process is extraordinarily easy once you know the way, and the results will be way better than anything you have had out of a box.

Adapted from Basics with Babish