Potato Gnocchi with Bolognese Sauce

Ingredients:-                                                                  

• 300g potatoes
• 2 cups plain flour (you may not need so much)
• 1 egg
• 1/8 cup grated parmesan(optional)
• salt and pepper

Method:-

1. Cook whole unpeeled potatoes in salted water and bring to boil for about 25 minutes or until tender. 
2. Drain and peel the potatoes when it is still warm. Mash the potatoes until smooth. The potatoes should still remain warm at this stage,
3. Make a hole in the centre a the mash potatoes add in egg, 1/2 cup of plain flour, grated parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Fold, mix, stir and combine mixture together using any large spoon. Gradually adding more flour if the mixture is too wet. Use hand to knead the dough until smooth.
4. Once the mixture has come together rest for 5 minutes.
5. Divide gnocchi dough mixture in quarters and knead on lightly floured surface. Roll each piece about 2cm in diameter. Then cut into 3cm pieces and indent each pieces with a fork. After that, place them on floured wooden board or tray, cover with damp tea towel for an hour or 2 before cooking. 
6. To cook gnocchi: put gnocchi in gently boiling salted water, stir an cook  for 2 to 3 minutes or until it floats. Drain gnocchi ansd spoon over sauce. I serve gnocchi with bolognese sauce.

TIPS:

• Add more flour if mixture is to wet/soft. However, becareful on the flour among you add because more flour added the firmer the gnocchi will be
• The potatoes should remain warm during the mixing process.
• Gnocchi will float when it is cooked.
• Do not put raw potaotes in hot water because the skin will fall apart and the potatoes will be soggy. 
• It is better to pass the potatoes through ricer then masher. I use masher because I dont have any ricer.
• Any uncooked gnocchi can be frozen. Freeze them in single layer using cling wrap and put in freezer bag. No need to thaw them before cooking.

I will give bolognese sauce an independent page. Therefore please click the link below for bolognese recipe:-
http://lovetocooklovetoeat.blogspot.com/2010/06/bolognese-sauce.html