Serves 6

2½ pounds baking potatoes

1 egg

2 cups plus a few tablespoons all-purpose flour

¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Salt to taste

½ cup melted butter

• Wash potatoes and boil, unpeeled, just until tender.

• Cool potatoes until safe to handle, then peel. Grate potatoes or push through a ricer into a large bowl. Beat egg and quickly stir into potatoes. Add 2 cups flour and Parmesan and work mixture into a soft dough, using a hand mixer on slow speed. Add salt to taste.

• Divide dough into 3 or 4 portions and roll each into a tube about 1-inch in diameter. Slice tubes into 1-inch pieces.

• Flatten each piece of dough lightly with your finger, then roll the disk back over itself with a fork. The result should be a small shell-shaped dumpling with ridges on the outside.

• Lightly dust formed gnocchi with flour. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and drop gnocchi, a small batch at a time, into the water. When gnocchi float, they're done. Scoop gnocchi from water with a slotted spoon or small strainer. Place cooked, drained gnocchi in a single layer in a baking dish and drizzle with melted butter. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Gnocchi Varieties

Although potato-based gnocchi are most common, these tender little dumplings can be made with a mixture of ricotta cheese and flour as well. Some cooks flavor their gnocchi with puréed spinach or herbs. Once boiled, gnocchi can be served in broth with tomato sauce or lightly coated with butter.