Tips for making Homemade Gnocchi:

-Must be made fresh, you can NOT freeze the dough (it might turn wickedly wild colors)
-Cool your potatoes before mashing them into the dough, hot potatoes make the dough soft.
-Keep adding flour until you have a bread-dough-like consistency
-When you can pierce the dough with a knive, and it comes out clean, you are ready to begin curling and forming the gnocchi
-Salt the cooking water, not the dough, and the salted water will take you to the right flavor
-Let the rolled gnocchi dry for about an hour before cooking

“It’s a competition! Who can go the fastest!!” – Beverly Vigliecca
“We practiced yesterday, so we are in fighting form.” – Roy Vigliecca

“Thats the fun of it, they’re home made. Not perfect from a store. It’s all about participation and family. Being together.” -Linda West to Jared Vigliecca (age 9)

“Some of them won’t turn out right. It’s just like real life. Some good. Some bad.” – Beverly Vigliecca

“I tried to make these in Junior High for a boy. I failed so hard. Oh the boy? He was named Dennis.” – Linda West

“Haha. I make’em bigger than that! (pointing to Linda’s Gnocchi)” – Carolyn Tognetti

Italian Gravy, by Carolyn Tognetti

Saute 1 onion and 2 garlic cloves, diced. Add 1lb of ground chuck and 1 italian sausage, cubed. Brown for about 10 minutes. Add a 6oz can of muchrooms or 1/2 cup fresh mushrooms sliced. Add a large can of canned tomatoes or 3 large tomatoes, diced. Add in pinches of fresh salt, pepper, italian seasoning, oregano, basil and 1 small can of tomato paste.

Cover and simmer for 1 hour. You may add reserved liquid from the canned mushrooms and tomatoes, or a can of water. Add several tablspoons of fresh chopped italian parsley. Simmer for an additional 90 minutes.
Enjoy with your favorite al dente pasta.