Gnocchi with Mushroom-Bacon Sauce

Ingredients
For gnocchi
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into ¹⁄₂-inch cubes
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt

For sauce
3 cups mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
¹⁄₂ pound bacon, chopped
¹⁄₄ cup parsley, chopped
1 cup half and half
¹⁄₃ cup chicken, beef, or vegetable broth
Salt and pepper

Instructions
1. Bring a large pot of water to boil and add potatoes.  Boil for 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  Drain and cool 15-30 minutes.  Meanwhile, fill the pot with water again and bring to boil. 

2. Place potatoes in large bowl and mash.  Add flour, egg, and salt and combine with a rubber spatula or your hands until completely incorporated.  Knead mixture by hand until a compact ball forms.  Dough will not be very smooth, so don’t worry or add more flour. 

3. Place dough on a very well floured surface.  Using a sharp knife, cut dough into eight pieces.  Form a ball from each piece and then roll each ball into a long, skinny log.  Using the sharp knife, cut the log into ¹⁄₂-inch pieces.  Continue until all of your dough is cut.  (You might find that tossing the pieces in flour at this point helps to keep them separate.)

4. Drop about 20 pieces of gnocchi into boiling water. Gently stir the gnocchi once to ensure they do not stick to the pot.  Once gnocchi float to the top of the water allow to cook for additional 20-30 seconds. 

5.  Remove gnocchi from water with slotted spoon and place in lightly oiled bowl.  Toss gnocchi in bowl to coat with oil and prevent sticking.  Repeat for remaining gnocchi, adding more oil to bowl if necessary. 

6. To make sauce, add mushrooms, garlic, onion and bacon to a large skillet over medium heat.  Cook, stirring often, until bacon is cooked through and vegetables are soft.  Add parsley, half and half, and broth.  Continue to cook, stirring, for 5-10 minutes or until sauce has reduced slightly.  Add salt and pepper to taste, then toss with gnocchi. 

Comments
I’ve never made gnocchi by hand before and Top Chef made me think that it would be difficult.  It was a bit complicated to attempt to do everything at once, so I was very glad to have Art’s help in the kitchen with this one!  It was, however, a lot simpler than I feared it would be!  I wasn’t a huge fan of the sauce, but the gnocchi themselves were scrumptious.  I will make one change the next time I make gnocchi.  After completing step 5 I would sauté the gnocchi in a skillet just to get some colour and a bit of firmness on the sides.  In fact, I can’t wait to make gnocchi again just so I can try this out.  This recipe is from the blog Zoom Yummy.

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