When there’s gnocchi on the menu, Marc is sure to order it. He loves those potato dumplings something fierce. I was in high school the first time I ordered gnocchi and they were dryish, flavorless and a bit tough. For a long time Marc and I were on opposite sides of team gnocchi. I’ve tried a bite when Marc orders them and one bite was always more than plenty…until last summer. We were starving and made an impromptu visit to an established Italian restaurant. Our waitress was a middle-aged, speedy and matter-of-fact gal that you could tell had been doing this a while. The owner was a friendly, older gentlemen that was greeting guests at the door and walking around to say hi. I ordered the Grand Marnier chicken that was very tasty and Marc ordered, you guessed it, gnocchi. Things were different, though, this time around because it happened to be the tastiest gnocchi in the world. The gnocchi was tender and dressed in the most addicting Gorgonzola cream sauce. It was ultra creamy and had the perfect bite from the Gorgonzola. I seriously took at least 3 bites from poor Marc’s plate and for the first time in our relationship I wanted to switch dishes immediately. Sadly, Marc is not a fan of chicken and I never order pasta in a cream sauce for my poor waistline’s sake, so my 3 bites had to be enough.

This Valentine’s Day, I finally decided to take the plunge and try my hand at gnocchi because I knew Marc would love it and I was interested in the technique. I did some research online and found a great recipe from Bon Appétit via Epicurious that looked very simple and tasty. I saw in the reviews that some people had trouble with their gnocchi dough and I knew exactly who to turn to, Lidia Bastianich. She is (in my opinion) the queen of Italian cooking. Her regional, yet simple preparations of great quality food finds me tuning into PBS every weekend. Her gnocchi recipe has more lengthy directions, but it’s not more difficult, just more clear. Lidia’s recipe produced the most tender gnocchi I’ve ever tried and the cream sauce was a rich and creamy accompaniment. The sauce was not as addicting as the one in that Italian restaurant, but I think I’m making a spot for gnocchi in my life. This recipe is gnocchi-lover approved and was a fun meal to share.

Potato Dough for Gnocchi

Recipe from Lidia Bastianich

Makes enough for 6 first course or 4 main dish servings

1 1/2 lbs. baking potatoes (all the same size)

3/4 t. salt

2 large eggs, beaten well

1 1/2 C. all-purpose flour, plus more for working with the dough

1. Put the potatoes, whole and skin-on in a large pot with cold water covering them by at least 2 inches. Bring to a steady boil and cook just until they are easily pierced with a fork or sharp knife blade-don’t let them overcook or let skins burst.

2. Lift potatoes from the water and drain. Peel and press through a potato ricer or food mill (or alternately mash well with a potato masher) while they are still as hot as you can handle, so their moisture will evaporate. Spread the potatoes in a thin layer onto a baking sheet, sprinkle salt all over them and let them cool and dry for preferably 2 to 3 hours. *This is where Lidia’s recipe differs, the drying and cooling of the potatoes helps make the dough easier to work with.

3. To mix the dough, pile the dried potatoes in a large loose mound on a work surface. Pour the beaten eggs over them and sprinkle 1 C. of the flour on top. Set aside the additional 1/2 C. of flour and then using your hands, work in the eggs, mixing and moistening the flour and potatoes. Gather into a single mass and knead for several minutes, scraping in sticky bits from your work surface and hands. Incorporate the additional flour in small amounts, only as needed, until the dough is smooth, soft and only slightly sticky. Too much flour will make the gnocchi heavy and dry. Form the gnocchi as quickly as possible so it does not dry out. *This is another important tip from Lidia, make sure you are ready to form your gnocchi as soon as you combine the dough or they will dry out.

4. Cut the finished dough into 4 pieces. Dust the work surface and your hands with flour. Roll one piece under your hands into a thick cylinder and gradually stretch it into a long rope, about 1/2 inch thick. With a sharp knife or bench scraper, slice the rope crosswise into 1/4-1/2 inch lengths; sprinkle pieces with flour. *I adjusted the measurements here because I liked the gnocchi a bit smaller, for Lidia’s original recipe click the link above.

5. To prepare a spot for your finished gnocchi, put a clean kitchen towel onto a rimmed baking sheet and flour the towel. To shape traditional gnocchi, hold a dinner fork, tines downward at an angle to your work surface. Place one of the cut sides of a piece of dough against the tines. With your lightly floured thumb, press into the dough on the other cut side and push it off the end of the fork onto the work surface. It will be hollow and curved where you pressed it and ridged on the side that rolled off of the fork. Press and roll the other cut pieces into gnocchi, dust them with flour and set in a single layer on your prepared sheet, not touching. *The shaping was tricky. It’s best to work quickly and not fuss about the shape because the more you try, the less of a ridge you will have. My gnocchi turned out pretty “rustic” but I have hope that I can get the hang of it someday. Lidia’s small grandchildren can do this expertly, surely I might be able to?

6. Cook gnocchi in large pot of boiling salted (*properly salting the water is important for flavor) water until gnocchi are tender and rise to the surface, about 5 minutes.

Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

Adapted from Bon Appétit via Epicurious

Makes enough for 6 first course servings

1 C. whipping cream

7 oz. Gorgonzola cheese

pinch freshly grated nutmeg

chopped fresh chives

1. Bring cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. *You can heat the cream at the same time as you heat the water for the gnocchi to have them both ready at the same time.

2. Add Gorgonzola and pinch of nutmeg, whisk until melted.

3. Spoon sauce over gnocchi and sprinkle with chives and Parmesan, if desired; serve.