Instant Potato Gnocchi

(Note: I did not take this photo. This is not our pasta. We did not make this. But it was a pretty photo. And it kinda looks like what we ate...except ours was prettier. Maybe next time I'll take a photo. In the meantime...this is more or less what gnocchi looks like, in this instance served with pesto sauce, in case this is new to you.)

Make this pasta. Make it for dinner. Tomorrow. (I'd say tonight, but it's already past dinner time.) You will be happy you did.

Yesterday I went over to my good friend Leah's house to spend a lovely afternoon with her and her little sweetheart 6 month old, Joey. Leah and her hubby, John, are borderline foodies--this is great news if you get invited over for a meal (the food is ALWAYS fantastic)--so I was excited to hang out and have lunch with Leah.

When I got to her house, she said, "I think we're going to make gnocchi with pesto and shrimp for lunch...how does that sound?" And I thought it sounded awesome...but I've made gnocchi before with a college friend who is literally from Italy (thick, beautiful accent and all), and it is a time-consuming, somewhat lengthy process. As I had arrived at 1:00, I was a little skeptical, but I was up for it. Then Leah busted out this recipe and it was AWESOME! It took a fraction of the time, was super easy, and it was DELICIOUS! And she shared it with me, so I shall share it with you. :)

*Note: in case you are unfamiliar, gnocchi is a potato based pasta--it is delicious and your kids will like it, too. :)

Instant Potato Gnocchi

1/8 tsp garlic powder -OR- 1 clove garlic

1 cup water

1 egg

1 tsp butter

Mix all these things in a food processor.

2 c. instant potatoes (yep, the kind in a box)

1 c. *flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. parsley

Mix these ingredients in a bowl, then add to food processor. (*Note: Leah's husband, John, is a no-gluten kind of guy, so we used rice flour, and it worked and tasted just as good.)

Pulse all these ingredients together.

Flour hands, then knead dough (you can sprinkle it with more flour as necessary until it stays together but is not super sticky). Roll the dough into ropes. Cut ropes into bite-sized pieces (about 3/4" or so). Flatten with fork tines (you don't HAVE to do this part, it just makes them look cuter and cook a bit quicker.

Dump the little balls into a pot of boiling water. When they float to the top, they're cooked! :) (Usually takes 3-5 minutes or so.) Skim them off the top, serve with sauce of your choice, and ENJOY!!

These are delicious. We ate them with fresh, homemade pesto (made from the basil from Leah's herb garden on her deck--I told you they're foodies!), shrimp, and fresh tomatoes--unbelievably delicious! :)

Stay tuned for my next post if you need another idea for how to serve these delicious little guys. :)