ONE OF A MILLION RECIPES FOR GNOCCHIS (ÑOQUIS)

You think these are so tricky, but I realized that these can't be all that hard when I saw a teenager on an Argentine soap opera throwing them together without even looking. (Eve will remember her name - the one in rehab on PH??) Makes 72 – maybe for 3 or 4?

(Recipe has been improved by Lena's testing during Christmas dinner)

What you need:

• 1 ½ lbs russet (Idaho) potatoes, smallish
• around 1 cp. flour
• salt and pepper
• 1 cp. frozen chopped spinach, steamed quickly and then squeezed very dry.
• 1 egg yolk
• Grated parmesan
• ¼ lb. fresh mozzarella (optional)

for the sauce:

• ½ onion, sliced
• large clove garlic, chopped
• ½ large can tomatoes, whirred in processor

What you do:

In large, oven-proof saucepan, saute onion in good amount of olive oil until starting to brown. Add garlic, and then the tomatoes. Simmer about 20 min. until sauce-like – add salt and pepper and small pat of butter. Keep on a low flame.

Set large pot of water to boil – then add a big pinch of salt. In another pot, simmer potatoes in water to cover until cooked through - 15 min? Keep the simmer low, and watch them - try not to let the skins split because you don't want much water to get inside. (Lena recommends baking them instead to avoid that problem.) Drain and cool slightly. Peel and put through potato ricer or food mill into large bowl and let cool somewhat.  

Add the spinach, egg yolk, and about 1 tsp salt and some pepper and lightly stir it together.  Sprinkle about 3/4 cp. flour over and mush together with your hands until just combined. If it needs it, add the rest of the flour gradually – dough should be soft and only slightly sticky - knead lightly. With your hands, roll about 1/3 of the dough into 1/2” cylinder on a lightly floured counter, and with a sharp knife, cut pieces ¾” long – should be around 24. Roll them around a bit in the flour on the counter, and then stick your finger in the middle to make a little dent. When each one is done, put on a lightly floured plate, and don't let them touch! When they're all there, toss them in the boiling salted water and start stirring right away, though gently. Wait until they rise to the top, and then leave them no longer than 10 seconds. Lift out with sieve and drop into the sauce. Do the same with the rest of the dough - 2 more times.

Stir gnocchis gently in the sauce - and throw in some chopped fresh herbs (basil, oregano) if you have any. Sprinkle generously with parmesan and slivers of mozzarella, and slide under broiler until top browns slightly.