Potato Gnocchi

Makes 4 generous servings

Ingredients:

• 4 large Idaho potatoes (about 2 lbs.)
• 1 whole egg, beaten
• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour (leave 1⁄2 C out and add in if necessary)
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 425°F.
2. Prick each potato several times with a fork and place on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake in the oven until the potatoes are tender enough to be easily pierced with a small knife (about 60 minutes). We held potatoes in the oven at 150°F during the course of the day to keep the potatoes at a warm enough temperature to allow the proteins in the egg to bind so the gnocchi didn’t fall apart.
3. Remove the potatoes from the oven and let them cool enough so that you can handle them - they should still be steaming when you cut them open (about 6 to 10 minutes). Cut each potato in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Pass the potato flesh through a food mill or press through a ricer set over a medium bowl.
4. Using a wooden spoon, gently stir in the beaten egg, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, melted butter, salt, and pepper, and 1 cup of flour. The mixture should be stirred only until the ingredients are combined: your gnocchi will come out tough if the dough is overworked.
5. Work the mixture into a smooth ball; if the dough seems a little too moist for this, add a touch of flour (the moisture level in every potato is different, so every batch of gnocchi will be a bit different, too).
6. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Cut the dough with a dough scraper or table knife into 1-inch wide pieces. On a floured surface, roll out each piece into long logs, to the appropriate width and cut the dough using your thumbnail as a guide. Place the pieces on a lightly floured baking sheet. Cover this with a cloth, parchment, or plastic wrap until you’re ready to cook the gnocchi, so they don’t dry out.
7. Cook gnocchi fresh from the cut, although they’ll hold overnight in the fridge. You can freeze as well and keep up to a month or two.
8. To Cook the Gnocchi: Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the gnocchi all at once (or as close to it as possible). Stir once gently all around, so the dough doesn’t become glued together. Let the gnocchi cook until they rise to the surface (about 1-2 minutes); wait one more minute and then, using a slotted spoon or a spider, remove the gnocchi as to not have them fall apart in a colander.