Gnocchi Alla Ricotta

Ingredients

2 ½ lbs. Idaho potatoes
2 large eggs
1 tsp. salt
1 cup Miceli’s ricotta cheese
1 tbsp. self-rising flour
1 ½ lbs. all-purpose flour

For tomato sauce:  
2 lbs. ripe Italian plum tomatoes
1 small onion, finely minced
1 carrot, g rated
1 celery stalk, minced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 tsp. hot pepper
2 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
1 cup tomato sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation
For gnocchi:
Scrub potatoes. Place in a 6-quart pot of water and boil until tender, about 30 minutes.

Drain water from potatoes, and then cool in pot. Peel and rice potatoes using a ricer. (Do not use a food processor). Cool at least 30 minutes.

Make a well with the riced potatoes. Add eggs, salt, ricotta cheese, self-rising flour and half the flour to the middle of the well. Slowly combine the eggs, cheese and flour with the potatoes, to make a dough. Work dough with the palms of your hands. Add remaining flour, only if needed. Dough should be smooth but not sticky.

Cut dough into five equal pieces. On a floured surface, use your palms to roll each piece into a long tube. Use a dough cutter to cut each tube into 1-inch-long pieces. Dust each gnocchi with flour and place on gnocchi maker.

Roll each piece, pressing with your thumb to give it the classic shape. Bring a 5-quart pot of salted water to boil. Cook gnocchi for 4 to 5 minutes. Once the gnocchi come to the surface of the water, let them cook 1 more minute and then remove with a slotted spoon to a platter. Top with tomato sauce.

For tomato sauce:
In a 5-quart pot, blanch tomatoes in boiling water for a few minutes. Drain and then peel. Chop and set aside.

In a 6-quart stockpot, sauté onion, carrot, celery and garlic in the olive oil until onion is transparent, about 5 minutes. Add prepared tomatoes and hot pepper. Cook at medium heat for 20 minutes, or until reduced. Add basil. Season sauce with salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes.

Recipe provided by Miceli Dairy Products Company, 2721 E. 90th St., Cleveland, OH 44104. Visit www.miceli-dairy.com for more information.