Light, pillowy gnocchi have a vibrant color due to beautiful purple potatoes. If you already like regular potato gnocchi, you will love the pop of color of these ones made of only two ingredients: purple potatoes and flour. Serving suggestion: a delicious butter sage sauce.
470 g purple potatoes
110 g 00 flour + some for the board (the proportion of flour to add is approximately 25 to 30% of the weight of the potatoes)
In a large pot add enough cold water and the potatoes with the skin on. Place the pot on medium heat and cook for about 35-40 minutes, or until fork-tender. Drain and place in a bowl.
Working on a clean surface (for me, the wood board), start peeling the boiled potatoes when still warm but not to the point to burn yourself. I usually have a bowl with cold water near me so I can dip my fingers in to cool them a bit.
Then, place 2 peeled potatoes at a time in the ricer and pile the riced potatoes on the board.
At this point, add your flour gradually, incorporating it in the potatoes while kneading. Mix very little and quickly, just enough to combine the ingredients (working the dough too much, releases the moisture and you are tempted to add more flour!). Form an “oval loaf” and keep some flour on the side.
Cut a slice of the dough at a time, lightly dust some flour on the board, and start making a rope about 1.5 cm round.
Then, with a bench scraper or knife, cut pieces of dough about 1.5 in (3 cm).
When you have little ‘nuggets’ of dough, it’s time to make the gnocchi shape.
Press gently with your finger (you can use your thumb I prefer my index finger) as you roll them on the classic wooden gnocchi board. As an alternative, you can roll them on the back of a fork, or on the back of a grater (the smooth part of a cheese grater). You could also leave them like that, or make them round by shaping them in the palm of your hands.
As they are ready, put them on a well-floured tray making sure they do not overlap and sprinkle some more flour on the gnocchi.
