Potato Gnocchi Draft

How I make it

Gnocchi

1. Bake the potatoes in the microwave, or in an oven preheated to 400°F (200°C) for about 1 hour, until soft.

2. Peel the potatoes and pass them through a food mill or grate them.

3. Add the remaining ingredients and knead into a smooth dough.

4. Cover the dough with a towel and let it rest for 15 minutes.

5. Pinch off a piece of dough and roll it into a rope. Cut each rope to the thickness and size you like, usually 1 inch (2.5 cm).

6. Drop the gnocchi into a pot of rapidly boiling salted water. They're done when they float, after about 45 seconds.

Sauce

1. Sauté the onion in a skillet with olive oil and a little butter.

2. Add the cooked gnocchi and toss gently.

3. Add the diced tomato and basil, season with salt and pepper and serve.

What I've learned

• The drier the potatoes, the lighter the gnocchi.
• If I'm not cooking them right away, I freeze the gnocchi so they don't touch each other, then move them to a bag once frozen.