Today Dishing: Homemade Gnocchi

Our friends are moving to Florida next week so a farewell gathering is scheduled for Sunday dinner. We’ve spent the morning planning a Florida inspired tablescape and Florida Trivia game for entertainment. We learned more about Florida than any Illinoisan should. But I digress.

We decided on an Italian menu. Remembering that gnocchi is one of my friend’s favorite Italian dishes, we included gnocchi on our menu. One small problem. I’ve never made gnocchi. And other than sampling one in a restaurant, I’ve never eaten gnocchi. I wouldn’t know a bad gnocchi from a good one.

Ever fearless, I sought out gnocchi recipes.  I checked The Tucci Cookbook by Stanley Tucci and Cook Like a Rock Star by Anne Burrell. Because I watched Anne Burrell make gnocchi on her food network show, I opted for her  “Chef Anne’s Light-as-a Cloud Gnocchi”.  I would recommend this recipe to even the most unseasoned cook because this process is not at all difficult.

After rolling the dough into a log, individual gnocchi are cut.

Many cookbooks say the gnocchi are done when they rise to the top. Anne Burrell says they are done when they rise to the top and become large and puffy.

                                                                                   l                                                   

Not being a gnocchi afficionado, I relied on the discriminating palate of my daughter to judge the results. After she said, “very good” I pressed her to elaborate on her evaluation. She then said, “Light, delicate, airy. You get a mild hint of the potato. It’s a perfect mix of earthiness from the pasta and luxuriousness from the creamy parmesan.” Okay! I can accept that. I am a gnocchi maker!

P.S. As we sat to taste the gnocchi, my friend called to say they can’t make it Sunday. No Florida table, no trivia. But all is not lost. I learned how to make gnocchi. TA-DA!!