medtran49
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These were not quite as good as made from scratch gnocchi, but they were easier and much quicker to the point they could be a week night meal. They are MUCH better than the commercially made gnocchi available in our grocery stores. I made a sage-browned butter sauce, but you could use whatever sauce you want - marinara, Alfredo, pesto, pesto made with dried tomatoes, etc.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups plain instant mashed potato flakes
1-1/2 cups boiling water
2 tsp salt, plus more for cooking water
1/2 to 1 tsp ground black pepper (optional, to your taste)
1 egg, beaten
1/2 to 1 cup AP flour, plus more for rolling if needed
DIRECTIONS
Place potato flakes in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper if using. Add boiling water and stir until well combined and all flakes are incorporated. Set aside to cool.
I prepared our salads while the mixture cooled and started the sage-browned butter sauce by melting 1 stick (8 Tbsp) of unsalted butter with 6 or 7 small whole sage leaves over low heat plus a couple of pinches of salt and a pinch of pepper. After butter started to brown, removed from heat.
Then, added the egg to the dough and mixed well, added 1/2 cup of flour, mixing until fully incorporated. I used the remaining flour on the board, flouring the board well and pushing the excess off to a corner. Turned out the potato mixture onto the board and kneaded, adding flour as necessary, until the dough had the texture of new play-dough. At this point, since I needed to rest, I covered the dough with a slightly dampened paper towel and we both rested for about 30 minutes, but I doubt this step is necessary.
Start a large pot of water to boil, adding a good bit of salt right before cooking the gnocchi.
If you've never made gnocchi before, pinch off a couple of pieces not quite double the size of a marble, roll into a ball, put a thumbprint in it and cook as below to make sure it holds together.
Divide the dough into quarters and roll into about a 1" (2.5 cm) log. Cut into about 1/2" (1.25 cm) pieces. Shape using the back of fork or a gnocchi board as demonstrated in the link above.
Drop a quarter of the gnocchi into the boiling water, give them a gentle stir with a slotted spoon or spider, then allow them to start floating to top. Give them another gentle stir, allow remainder to float to top, cook another 2 minutes or so. Remove to a colander set over a bowl with a slotted spoon or spider. Cook remainder as above.
If using a browned butter sauce, remove whole leaves and slice 5 or 6 sage leaves into the butter and heat over medium high. Add gnocchi and lightly brown. Serve, using Pecorino Romano as garnish.
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