Serves 4
adapted from Classic Italian Jewish Cooking by Edda Servi Machlin
Ms. Machlin’s original recipe called for simply tossing the gnocchi with butter and Parmesan and serving topped with marinara sauce. I decided to add the cheese as a topping and bake it so it would get all golden and bubbly.
1 1/2 pounds (about 3 to 4) baking potatoes, scrubbed clean
3/4 cup flour, plus more for kneading as necessary
Salt, to taste
1 tablespoon butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup marinara sauce
Preheat your oven to 400ºF. Pierce potatoes with a fork a few times and place them on center rack of the oven. You can also use a rimmed pan if you prefer, and bake until very tender, about 50 to 60 minutes. Alternately, place pierced potatoes on a microwave-safe dish and cook on HIGH until very tender, about 10 to 12 minutes in my 1000 watt microwave. Remove from oven or microwave and let sit until cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes.
Using a paring knife or your fingers, peel skin off potatoes—it should pretty much fall off at this point; discard skins.Break cooked potatoes into cubes and place in a potato ricer. Press through into a deep bowl. Repeat with remaining potatoes.
Add flour and season with salt. Using your hands, gently knead mixture in the bowl to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead another minute until it forms a smooth ball.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, shape the gnocchi. Start by diving dough into 6 to 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a 3/4-inch thick rope. Cut off 1 1/2-inch pieces. Make grooves in the gnocchi by placing one at a time into the center of your palm and gently rolling over them with a pastry blender. You can alternately use the tines of a fork (see below), which is what I used to do until I had my eureka moment with the pastry blender. It may take a few tries to get it right, and if it doesn’t work as desired, leave the gnocchi as is—they’ll still taste as good without the grooves! Repeat with remaining dough.
Salt the boiling water. Add the shaped gnocchi and cook until they rise to the surface of the water, about three minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a deep bowl. Toss with the butter to coat well. Spoon into an oven-proof ceramic or glass baking dish (a pie plate works great). Evenly spoon marinara sauce on top and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake in a preheated 350ºF oven until golden and bubbly, about 10 to 12 minutes.
serves 2
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 batch of prepared uncooked gnocchi (see recipe above)
Generous handful of washed & dried arugula leaves, torn
Freshly grated zest of 1 lemon
Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to taste
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.Cook until butter is nutty and fragrant smelling but not burnt. Add the gnocchi and toss until well coated. Add the arugula, lemon zest and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Toss vigorously and cook for 2 more minutes. Divide among two dishes and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese to serve.