Gnocchi with Basil

I am a person who loves to cook and especially with fresh ingredients. But I am going to be honest. Not everyone has the time to make a dough, roll it then cut it, let it rest and then finally boil the pasta. I know that the taste of homemade pasta is much more delicious than the store-bought version. But who am I kidding. Sometimes you just have to prepare a dinner in 10 minutes. 

So, that is how I had my first gnocchi, it was store bought. 

Normally when I go to an Italian restaurant, I either order pizza or risotto. And if I like what I had, I try more interesting things when I go there the second time. But I've never had gnocchi in a restaurant. To be honest, I was not sure what it was. When I learned that gnocchi was a potato dumpling, it was unusual for me. I found potatoes and pasta dough a little bit odd because why add more carbs if you have enough in a bowl of pasta? 

But after a while I decided to cook myself some gnocchi. I was extremely curious. Even though the gnocchi was from a supermarket, they were amazing. When I took a bite, I was sure that it wasn't just a dumpling. The gnocchi was fluffy, smooth, creamy and delicious. And now gnocchi is one of my favorite Italian food. So, I decided to cook the homemade version for you. Hope you'll enjoy :)

*Makes 4 main dish servings and 6 appetizer servings. 

Ingredients: 

2 potatoes, peeled

2 cups of flour and a little bit more for dusting 

1 egg

1 tablespoon of butter
1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 garlic clove

Basil or sage

Red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper

Water for boiling

1) Boil some water in a medium sauce pan. Add some salt and the potatoes. Let them boil until tender for about 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes. Drain them when cooked and mash using a potato masher. 

2) Add in the flour, some salt and the egg onto the mashed potatoes. Using your hands, mix the mixture for about 3-4 minutes. When the mixture reaches a dough consistency, transfer it to a lightly floured surface and work the dough for about 3-4 minutes. 

3) Cut the dough into 6 equal pieces and just take a moment to look how smooth the layers look. Then roll the dough into long lines like snakes. Cut them using a knife in bite sizes. You can try to roll them on a fork to get the classic gnocchi shape. However I like to keep them simple, so I don't. (Not because I am too lazy :).

4) Bring a pot of water to a boil and sprinkle salt generously. Add in the gnocchi and add some olive oil to the pot to prevent the gnocchi from sticking. Take a mug and reserve some of the starchy cooking water for the sauce. 

5) When the gnocchi is tender, after about 3-5 minutes, drain it. Then add the butter and some olive oil. When the butter melts, add in the garlic. Stir it for about 1 minute until you can smell the garlic. Then pour in the starchy cooking water and stir. Add in the basil/sage. Then add the gnocchi and mix until all of the gnıccchi is covered with the sauce. But be gentle, or you can break the gnocchi. 

6) Serve with parmesan sprinkled on top, freshly grounded black pepper and some more basil. Enjoy. 

P.S.: I did not have any basil on hand, so I did not use any fresh herbs. It was fine, but it would have been better with some fresh herbs. So here is a version that I did a while ago with some basil.