Homemade Gnocchi

Ingredients

• 3 large potatoes
• 2 whole eggs + 1 yolk
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400F.
2. Wash the potatoes and piece them with a knife.
3. Place the potatoes onto a baking sheet and bake for one hour until they can easily be pierced with a knife.
4. Remove from oven and while hot, peel and mash.
5. Because they are hot, just use a kitchen towel to hold the potatoes and a paring knife to remove the skin.
6. Use either a potato masher or potato ricer.
7. Be sure there are no lumps in the mash.
8. Spread the mash out on the baking tray and allow it to cool first on the counter for a few minutes, then place into the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
9. Dust your working surface with a generous amount of flour.
10. Place the mashed potatoes down into the flour.
11. Add 2 1/4 cups of flour and the salt and pepper, mixing it into the potatoes with your hands.
12. Form a little mound and make a well in the top. Drop in the 2 eggs and the yolk.
13. Using a fork, break up the yolks and whisk in the eggs a bit.
14. Use your hands to mix the eggs into the dough.
15. Add flour a little bit more at a time until the dough is dry enough to for a ball. The total amount of flour needed will vary according to the moisture content of the potatoes you use.
16. Knead the dough for a good 5 - 10 minutes.
17. You cannot over-work this dough.
18. A well kneaded dough will make gnocchi that are soft, yet still have some texture to them.
19. Knead until the dough has a bit of resistance and springiness to it.
20. It is then ready to be rolled & cut.
21. Divide the dough into 6 balls and roll each one into long strips and then cut the strips into 3/4 inch pieces and roll into little logs.
22. Transfer the gnocchi to a floured tray in one even layer.
23. Boil a large pot of water and place the gnocchi in.
24. Cook until they float to the top, about 3 minutes.
25. Remove with a strainer to a bowl.
26. Place onto a cookie sheet in single layer.
27. OR,you can place them into a bowl of ice water to chill if you don't intend to use them right away.
28. Gnocchi can be frozen pre-cooked or raw.
29. To freeze gnocchi, lay them out individually on a floured tray that has been wrapped in plastic before transferring them to a container with a lid that seals.