POTATO & RICOTTA CHEESE GNOCCHI WITH GOLDEN

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wrap potatoes in foil and place on a sheet pan. Bake for approximately 1 hour, until “fork-tender.” When almost cool, peel potatoes. Using a potato ricer, squeeze all the potatoes onto a pastry board. It’s important to do this while the potatoes are still warm, but not hot.

Take the ricotta cheese and squeeze out the extra water with a paper towel. Then, pass it through a sieve over the potatoes. Mix all and make a mound. Form a well in the center of the potatoes and ricotta, then add the eggs, a pinch of salt, and the flour. Mix until you have a soft ball. Add more flour if the dough is too wet and sticky to knead. Let the dough rest for about 15 minutes before rolling. Roll out the gnocchi dough so that it forms a rope of ¾ inch in diameter, then, cut the rope into ¾ inch pieces. Take each piece and roll it over a fork or better, a wooden grid, shaped with corners, called a gnocchi paddle. Place gnocchi pieces onto a sheet pan and place in the fridge while making the marinara sauce.

In a medium deep sauté pan (non-stick), heat the olive oil over medium-low heat and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic. Sauté until very fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the can of tomatoes, Sicilian spice mix, and Parmesan Cheese. Turn the heat up to medium and cook until the mixture begins to bubble. Reduce the heat to low and add half of the basil. Cover the pot and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

While the marinara sauce is simmering, take a pot with water and bring to a boil with a pinch of salt. Then, add the gnocchi. Be careful to avoid cooking gnocchi at a “rolling boil.” Don’t lift them out until they float. Once the gnocchi float, you can take them out with a perforated spoon, and then place them straight into the sauce.

Just before serving, stir in the remaining basil and season to taste with additional salt. Add gnocchi to the sauce. Serve and top with additional Parmesan cheese.

Serves 4