Potato Pillows

I have a turbulent, love-hate relationship with pasta. For this, I blame my brother.

When we were growing up, pasta was his tireless favorite -- one that my mother was more than happy to accommodate. Given that my father also shares this passion for the noodle family, I've had more than my fill of the yellow, wiggly stuff.

That's not to say that I don't enjoy a plate of well-made tagilatelle served with a thick, savory meat sauce or a bowl of bow-tie farfalle tossed with garlicky pesto. But given the choice between rice, bread, or pasta, I will never opt for the wiggly stuff. Sorry!

However, there is one pseudo-exception. Gnocchi -- meaning "lump", "knot" or "knuckle" -- are little pasta-like dumplings that I would gladly take the time to cook. They come in varieties like those made with bread crumbs, semolina, ricotta, and others, but my favorite is the potato gnocchi. They remind me of the German Spätzle (a scraggly, free-form egg noodle) or the Kartoffelkloess (literally, potato dumplings). There's also a vague resemblance to the Japanese mochi, which is a glutinous, chewy rice ball or dumpling that I get cravings for during cold weather.

I'm used to the idea of boiling pre-packaged gnocchi but I never tried making them. That is, until I realized how absurdly easy it is. Don't believe me? Here's the basic recipe.

Basic Gnocchi Recipe

2 big mashing potatoes -- baked, peeled, then grated
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg

1. Knead everything together, dusting lightly with additional flour as you go until the dough is not too sticky any more.
2. On a floured surface, roll the dough out into ropes as thick as a finger, then cut 1" pieces. (They will look like little pillows.)
3. In salted, boiling water, drop the gnocchi in batches and cook for about a minute until they come floating up.

I added some fresh herbs to my latest batch. I would imagine that lemon zest and other seasonings would make great additions too. To my dumplings, I added the following sauce of my own concoction.

Tomato Coconut Sauce

1 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup coconut milk
6 oz. tomato paste
2 Tbsp fresh, chopped basil

1. Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over Medium heat. Sweat the minced garlic until lightly browned.
2. Add the coconut milk and tomato paste. Whisk together until smooth. Simmer gently until it thickens a bit.
3. Remove from heat and add the basil. Pour over gnocchi.