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Gnocchi with Vodka Sauce

Name: Gnocchi with Vodka Sauce
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 lb Russet potatoes; about 1 1/3 cups All-purpose flour; 1 Large egg yolk; 1 Tbsp Fine table salt; 1 medium Yellow onion; 2 medium cloves Garlic; 2 Tbsp No-salt-added tomato paste; 14 oz No-salt-added crushed tomatoes; 1/4 cup 80-proof vodka; 3/4 cup Light cream; 2 oz Parmesan; 1/2 loosely packed cup Fresh basil; 2 Tbsp Olive oil; 1/4 tsp Ground black pepper

Vodka sauce is valued for how a small amount of spirit changes the aroma and texture of a tomato-cream emulsion. Simmering reduces its sharpness, but this recipe does not claim that all alcohol disappears.

type: Potato
sauce: Tomato · Cream

Time and servings

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 50 min
Total: 80 min
Servings: 6

Nutrition per serving

Calories: about 380
Protein: 12 g
Fat: 14 g
Carbs: 49 g

Cook the potatoes
Choose either boiling or baking. Boiled potatoes make a softer, moister dough; baked potatoes make a drier dough that usually needs less flour. To boil, put the whole unpeeled potatoes in a pot, cover with cold water, and simmer for 25 to 35 minutes, until a thin knife slides easily into the center, then drain them well. To bake, heat the oven to 425°F220°C, scrub and pierce the potatoes, and bake for 60 to 75 minutes, until tender.
Prepare the sauce ingredients
While the potatoes cook, dice the onion, finely chop the garlic, grate the Parmesan, and tear the basil leaves.
Cook the tomato and vodka base
Warm the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the onion until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and stir for 1 minute. Move the skillet off direct heat, add the vodka, then return it to medium heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, pepper, and up to 1/2 tsp3 g of the reserved salt. Simmer gently until slightly thickened. This reduces the raw vodka aroma but does not make the sauce alcohol-free. When ready, turn off the heat and cover until the gnocchi are shaped.
Mash the potatoes
Peel the potatoes while they are warm. Pass them through a potato ricer, or mash them with a potato masher until no lumps remain. Spread the potato out briefly to let the steam escape.
Mix the dough
Add the yolk, 1/2 tsp3 g of the salt, and 1 cup120 g of the flour to the warm potato. Mix gently until no dry flour remains. If the dough is too sticky to roll, add flour a spoonful at a time until it is soft and slightly tacky. You may not need all the flour.
Roll and cut the ropes
Divide the dough into portions. Roll each into a rope about 3/4 inch2 cm thick and cut it into 3/4 inch2 cm pieces, using only enough flour to prevent sticking.
Add the ridges
Roll each piece over a gnocchi board to create beautiful, well-defined ridges that help the sauce cling. A fork can make simple grooves.
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Heat the cooking water
Bring about 3 quartsabout 3 liters of water and 2 tsp12 g of the salt to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer. Continue with the next step while the water heats.
Finish the vodka sauce
While the water heats, return the tomato base to low heat. Stir in the cream and warm it at a quiet simmer until the sauce lightly coats a spoon. Do not boil hard.
Poach the gnocchi
Slide the gnocchi into the gently simmering water and stir once so they do not stick to the bottom. Reserve 1/2 cup120 ml cooking water, then lift the gnocchi as they float.
Finish with Parmesan and basil
Transfer the floating gnocchi directly to the skillet. Fold in the Parmesan and basil over low heat. Add reserved cooking water 1 Tbsp15 ml at a time only if the sauce is too tight. Taste and adjust only with the remaining measured salt.