Homemade Gnocchi with Spicy Marinara Sauce

Ingredients:

Spicy Marinara Sauce

Directions:

1. Wash and peel the potatoes. Slice into quarters or small chunks. Add to a large pot and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil and continue to boil the potatoes until cooked through, about 20 minutes total. You should be able to easily pierce the potatoes with a fork. Drain the water from the pot. Let the potatoes cool and release steam for 2-3 minutes.
2. Scoop the potatoes into a ricer (aka potato ricer) and rice the potatoes into a large mixing bowl. Continue to use the ricer mechanism until all potatoes have been riced.
3. Add the salt, pepper, and flour and gently toss to combine. Form a well in the center of the mixture. Crack the egg into a small bowl and whisk. Pour into the well and use your hand to start mixing, starting from the inside and working out. Mix until just combined.
4. Pour the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand until completely blended.
5. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a long rope, about 20-24 inches long and ½-inch wide. Cut the dough into 1-inch pieces and keep the pieces as separated as possible, while on a lightly floured surface, so they don’t stick together.
6. Optional - roll each piece of dough over a wooden paddle with ridges or over a fork to create ridges. You can skip the step if desired.
7. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
8. Add ½ of the gnocchi to the boiling water and gently stir to prevent any of the pieces of dough from sticking together. The gnocchi will sink to the bottom. After about 1 minute, the gnocchi will float to the surface. Continue to boil and stir occasionally for 2-3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the gnocchi to a pan or bowl. Boil the second batch of gnocchi. Remove to the same pan or bowl and set aside while the sauce cooks.
9. Prepare the sauce (see ingredient list below). Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
10. Add the fire roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce, and water. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer.
11. Add the heavy cream, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes (add ½ tsp will give a mild amount of heat, adding 1 tsp will make the dish quite spicy). Stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 4-5 minutes.
12. Add the gnocchi and stir to coat. Continue to heat for another 2-3 minutes.
13. Serve warm with grated parmesan and fresh chopped basil on top.

Spicy Marinara Sauce