Cooking With Kids: Buddy Valastro's Easy Gnocchi Recipe

Buddy Valastro may be known TLC's The Cake Boss, but this chef has a savory side too! Here he is in the kitchen cooking up an Italian favorite, Cheese and Potato Gnocchi with a kid-friendly recipe. What's his secret ingredient for this recipe? Lots of little helpers!

Author:: Rachael Ray Every Day
Publish date:: Sep 1, 2012

"I cook with my kids as much as possible. I teach them my favorite recipes and remind them of their Italian heritage."
--Buddy Valastro

Preheat

PREHEAT the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Scrub the potatoes; poke all over with a fork. Place on the sheet and bake until fork-tender, about 1 hour. Slice in half lengthwise; let sit on the baking sheet until cook enough to handle.

Scoop

SCOOP out the potato flesh with a spoon.

Press

Working in batches, PRESS through a ricer into a medium bowl.

Measure

MEASURE out 3 cups of potatoes by gently scooping the measuring cup in the bowl. Dump onto a work surface in a thin layer; let cool. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Sprinkle

SPRINKLE the potatoes with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the nutmeg; drizzle with the egg yolks. Dust with 1/2 cup flour.

Fold

Using a bench scraper, gently FOLD in the yolks and flour.

Press & Scrape

PRESS the dough together in a ball; set aside. Scrape the surface clean; dust with flour. Clean off the bench scraper.

Fold and Knead

FOLD and knead the dough with our hands on the work surface for just 2 turns.

Sprinkle & Roll

SPRINKLE a baking sheet with flour. Quarter the dough. Roll one-quarter of the dough into a long 3/4-inch-wide rope.

Cut

Using the bench scraper, CUT into 1-inch pieces; place on the baking sheet.

Repeat

REPEAT with the remaining dough.

Cook

COOK the gnocchi in gently boiling water until they float to the surface and puff up slightly, about 1 1/2 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet.

Scoop and Toss

SCOOP the gnocchi into the skillet using a slotted spoon. Add 1/4 cup cooking water and the cheese. Toss to combine adding more cooking water if too dry.