Basil Gnocchi

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My first attempt at home made gnocchi, and this was quick, fun and oh so yummy! The most time consuming bit is waiting for the potatoes to cook! i served this with leftover pasta sauce, but i imagine the possibilities are endless. Rather than sauce, after poaching the gnocchi you can apparently cook 1/2 cup butter til nut-brown, then toss the gnocchi in it til crisp; sounds evil but delicious!!

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Steps

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Peel potatoes , then steam or boil them til cooked through and tender.

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While potatoes are cooking , blend the basil leaves and olive oil in a food processor.

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Mash the potatoes with a fork , add butter and salt & pepper to taste and mash til butter is melted.

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Set aside for a few minutes til potatoes are not too hot to handle but still warm.

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Stir in basil / oil mixture.

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Add flour and work into the potato mix til you have a dough.

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Turn onto a floured workbench and knead gently for 5 minutes , adding more flour as needed - dough should be soft , pliable and not sticky.

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Divide dough into quarters and roll each piece to make a long , thin sausage , then cut sausage into short lengths , whatever size you want your gnocchi to be.

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Fill a very large saucepan with water and bring to the boil , add some salt.

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When the water is boiling , add half the gnocchi.

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Allow the gnocchi to cook for 1 minutes after they rise to the surface , skim them out and keep warm.

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Repeat with remaining gnoc.

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Ingredients

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butter, plain flour, potatoes, sea salt, fresh basil, olive oil, fresh ground black pepper