Homemade Gnocchi with Palomino Sauce

There's something about making homemade Italian dishes that gives you a great sense of accomplishment. It has do with the time and effort it takes into making the homemade pasta; kneading, rolling, and cutting until your hands are too tired to keep going. While time consuming, these dishes are worth every minute spent making them delicious.

Of all the Italian dishes I tried made, gnocchi is my favorite. Something about the potato based dumplings that really get my taste buds going. Gnocchi is a versatile in the way it can be prepared. Each Italian province has their own twist on their gnocchi recipes. Parma prepares gnocchi with brown butter and sage; the Romans use flat semolina gnocchi prepared in a buttered saucepan; in the Venice, gnocchi is made from pumpkin or butternut squash.

For my recipe, I used the traditional gnocchi everyone is accustomed to: flour and potatoes rolled into dumplings served with a marinara and béchamel combination sauce.



INGREDIENTS:

• 4 Pounds of White Potatoes- peeled, quartered, boiled, and mashed
• 4 Eggs
• Flour- read below for amount
• Salt- to taste
• Pepper- to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
• 1/2 cup of grated Roman Cheese (may also use Parmessan or Asiago)
  

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Peel, quarter, and boil potatoes.
2. Mash the potatoes and place in a bowl and refrigerate overnight.
3. In a larger bowl, place the COLD mash potatoes.
4. Add the exact amount of flour as potatoes (use the bowl as a measuring instrument).
5. Add the remaining ingredients. Knead into a soft dough.
6. Add flour is dough is too sticky.
7. Separate the dough into four ball. Cover with clean dish cloth and let rest.
8. Break a piece of one ball. Roll into a long snake about 1/4 inch thick.
9. Cut into pieces about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick.
   

TO COOK:

1. Drop individual gnocchi into boiling salt water.
2. Let them boil, gently, after they come to to top of the water for about 2 minutes.
3. Remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon.
4. Place in a heated Pyrex baking dish, cover with tomato sauce and bake for 10 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes to cool before eating.

For the Palomino Sauce I make my own homemade marinara sauce and combine it with the cream sauce.


INGREDIENTS: Marinara Sauce and Bechamel Sauce

Marinara Sauce

1. 2 cases of Grape Tomatoes
2. 1 Celery Stalk
3. 1 Head of Garlic (don't break apart)
4. 1 large Yellow Onions
5. 1 Carrot
6. Extra Virgina Olive Oil (enough to drizzle over ingredients)
7. Salt (to taste)
8. Pepper (to taste)

Bechamel Sauce

1. 1 tablespoon Butter
2. 1 small White Onion, chopped
3. 2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
4. 1 tablespoon Flour
5. 3/4 cup Milk
6. 1 cup Light Cream
7. 1/2 teaspoon Salt
8. 1/4 cup Parmessan Cheese
9. 1/4 cup Basil Leaves, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS: Marinara Sauce

1. Put all of the above ingredients into a roasting pan.
2. Drizzle olive oil over the ingredients and roast in oven at 450 degrees for 2 hours.
3. Take pan out of oven and allow to cool down.
4. Peal the garlic cloves out of casing and blend all ingredients to a sauce. (If the sauce is too thick add water or more olive oil).

INSTRUCTIONS: Bechamel Sauce

1. In a nonstick skillet, meltl butter over medium heat.
2. Add onion and garlic. Cook until tender, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in flour, cook for 1 minute.
4. Stir in milk, cream, and salt. Heat to boiling over med-high heat.
5. Stir in prepared marinara sauce and cook over med-high heat for 10 to 15 minutes stirring occacionally.
6. Pour over cooked pasta and add parmessan and basil leaves.
7. Enjoy!