Gnocchi con Salsa al Pomodoro

Fun with potatoes.  In Italy, gnocchi (those delicious nummy bits of potatoey goodness) are traditionally served on Thursdays, but I'm not much for tradition so for your any day enjoyment here is a nice simple gnocchi recipe.

Gnocchi con Salsa al Pomodoro
(potato dumplings with a light tomato sauce)

gnocchi

1-1/2 lbs potatoes
2 eggs
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

salsa de pomodoro

1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp olive oil
15 oz. can crushed tomatoes
fresh oregano
pepper and salt, to taste

Boil the potatoes with their skin on.  Drain and peel while still hot, the peels will come off very easily.

In a medium bowl, mash the potato then add in eggs and most of the flour.

I started with one cup of flour, mooshed it in really good and then added a second cup.

You may not end up using all of the flour, it will really depends on how absorbent your potatoes are.

Mix until it forms a slightly stick dough then roll out onto a floured surface.

Add more flour if necessary until the dough forms a malleable ball.

Slice off a piece of the dough and roll into a long thin log, then cut into 1" pieces.

To cook, gently drop the gnocchi into a pot of salted boiling water.  You want to cook them in small batches (15-20 pieces).  After a few minutes they will rise to the top of the water.  Let them continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes then remove with a slotted spoon.  Set them aside in a heated serving dish until all of the batches are done.

To make the simple tomato sauce, cook the garlic in olive oil over medium-high heat.  Once the garlic is browned, add in tomatoes and oregano.  Continue to cook over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

NOTES

You can top with your favorite sauce.  Would go well with pesto or a nice meaty Bolognese sauce too.