GNOCCHI recipe

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. best quality baking potatoes
• 1 c. sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 whole egg
• 1 extra egg yolk
• 2 tbsp. butter, softened
• 1 tsp. salt
• Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Boil the potatoes in jackets until cooked.
2. Peel and put through a ricer. While potatoes are still warm, blend them with the flour.
3. Add lightly beaten egg and yolk, the butter and the salt.
4. Place on a floured board and knead lightly. Keep dough soft.
5. Roll into sticks 1 inch thick and about 10 inches long.
6. Cut into 3/4 inch pieces.
7. Dent each piece in the middle with a fork.
8. When ready to serve, place gnocchi in boiling salted water. Cook until they rise to the top of the water. Drain and place in a warm bowl.

Creamy Sauce

1. Heat your sauté pan over medium-high heat to get it hot.
2. Add the oil and butter to the pan and when the butter is melted and hot, add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and continue sautéing for another minute.
3. Add the bacon and cook for 3 – 4 minutes until the bacon doesn’t have that white fatty look any more. You don’t want the bacon crisp, just cook through.
4. Add the chicken stock to deglaze the pan, stirring up any of the bacon bits that may be sticking to the pan. Add the cream and then the peas. Simmer for 3 – 4 minutes and you will notice the sauce start to thicken.
5. Right after you add the cream you want to start cooking the gnocchi. They only take 2 –3 minutes to cook but by the time you cook and drain them the sauce will be finished. You will know when the gnocchi are done because they float to the top of the water. The trick to preparing any pasta dish with a great sauce is getting the timing down so everything is done at the same time.
6. Add the drained gnocchi to the sauce along with the Parmesan cheese and nutmeg. Give it a gentle stir and cook to warm up and incorporate the sauce with the gnocchi.
7. Sprinkle the cheese and the sauce over them. Serve immediately.