Italy!

In honor of my upcoming trip to Italy, I'm sharing one of my most requested recipes! Potato gnocchi are not hard to make, just a little time consuming. These little potato pillows taste amazing and just melt in your mouth!

One week from today I'll be seeing how prosciutto and pancetta are made, then have tours of balsamic vinegar and Parmigiano factories planned as well. What can I say, for a food geek like me it's a dream trip! Stay tuned for more recipes and photos! In the meantime, make yourself a steaming plate of gnocchi - perfect way to end a cold rainy day!

Potato Gnocchi

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 65 minutes

Sauce

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1/2 small onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (29-oz.) can crushed tomatoes

2 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Gnocchi

1 1/2 lbs. small unpeeled russet potatoes

1 1/4 cups flour, plus extra for kneading

1 tbsp. butter

3/4 tsp. salt

1 egg

Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

1. To prepare sauce, heat olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Add remaining sauce ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for at least 1 hour.

2. Prepare gnocchi while sauce is simmering. Scrub potatoes and place in a large pot of boiling water. Boil for 10 to 20 minutes (depending on the size of the potatoes). Drain and let cool slightly; remove peels and mash well. While potatoes are still warm, stir in flour, butter, salt and egg until a soft dough forms.

3. Transfer to a lightly floured board and knead for a minute or two until smooth. Roll dough into 3/4-inch thick tubes and cut into 1-inch pieces. With the tines of a fork, gently pull the fork across the surface of each gnocchi to make indentations. Drop into boiling salted water and cook just until the gnocchi float to the top.

4. Immediately drain well and transfer to a serving dish. Grate cheese over the gnocchi and toss lightly. Ladle a small amount of sauce over the top and toss again to coat. Serve with additional sauce and cheese. Makes 8 servings.

To freeze: Place in a single layer on a floured baking sheet and freeze until firm. Transfer to zip top bags. Cook from frozen, do NOT thaw before cooking.