I feel like I say this all the time, but I just tried gnocchi for the first time two years ago. Just like pretty much every other recipe or ingredient that is now commonplace in my kitchen today (like pesto, chard, taquitos, pierogies, winter squash, zucchini... I could keep going). I think your palate is really shaped by your parents preferences until you are out on your own and you decide you want to try new things. I was convinced bell peppers were spicy until senior year of college when I finally decided to try one (after some convincing from my roommate). It is kind of crazy to about how much other people's opinion and preferences can shape our own opinions and preferences, even without trying it for ourselves. It just reminds me to keep trying new things. Your favorite meal, sport, hobby, etc could still be out there waiting for you to come try it!
So, if you want to impress someone with your chef skills, make your own gnocchi! It really isn't hard, it is just a little time consuming. But you have the satisfaction of knowing you made the little dumplings from scratch. You could go ten steps further and make your own tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese (I haven't yet, but I hear it is one of the easiest cheese to make yourself).
Gnocchi
2 lbs potatoes (cut into one inch squares if not fingerlings)
2 eggs
3 garlic cloves
1 stem rosemary, minced
1 cup flour
salt and pepper
1 cup tomato sauce
.5 cup fresh mozzarella
2 tbsp parm, shredded
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil potatoes for about 15 minutes or until tender. Remove from water and let cool. Skin should easily peel off (the skin helps keep nutrients and color in the potato while boiling).
2. Use the grater attachment on food processor to grate the potatoes. Saute garlic in pan with a little olive oil.
3. Combine grated potatoes, eggs, garlic, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and one cup of flour in a medium mixing bowl. Stir together until dough forms. If dough is still sticky, add about two tablespoons of flour at a time until it is no longer sticky.
4. Roll dough with hands into thin strips, between a half inch to one inch thick. Cut off piece that are about the size of your thumbprint. Shape the little dough ball with fork tines to give the sauce something to stick to.
5. Sprinkle flour over the dough balls and boil for about two minutes.
5. In four ramekins, spoon enough tomato sauce to cover the bottom. Fill ramekin with gnocchi, cover gnocchis with half cup of tomato sauce, and top with fresh mozzarella and a sprinkle of parm. Bake fore 25 minutes or until mozzarella starts to get golden brown on top.
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