Rotini in Ricotta Sauce

For the sauce:

1/2 Celery minced
1/2 Carrot minced
1/2 Onion minced
3 Garlic cloves minced
2 tbs Olive Oil
1 Can Tomato Puree (28 oz)
1/4 cup Red Wine
1 tsps Basil (dry)
1 tsp  Parsley (dry)
1 Bay leaf (small)

1 box Rotini
1 cup Ricotta

Instructions:

In a large pot bring 5 quarts of water to a boil.  Add rotini pasta and cook per package instructions.

In a pan, saute celery, carrots, onions in olive oil for 2-3 mins.  Add garlic and continue to saute for 1 more minute.  Stir in tomato puree, wine, basil, parsley and bay leaf; and bring to a boil.  Turn heat to low, cover pan and simmer for 1 hour.

Add ricotta and pasta to sauce in pan and mix well.  Remove bay leaf before serving.

Enjoy!

Gnocchi

For my first post.  I wanted to try my hand at making Gnocchi.   It was pretty simple.  Here is the recipe I used:

Gnocchi

2 lbs of potatoes
1 1/2 to 2 cups of flour
2 tsps salt

Set oven to 375°
Wash  and dry potatoes.  Score potatoes with a knife and place them on a cookie sheet.  Bake for 1 hour. 

Peel potatoes after they have cooled and place in food processor with the 1 1/2 cups of flour and the salt.  Pulse until combined.   Flour the counter and roll out 1/4th of the dough at a time into a 3/4 in wide snake.  Cut into 1 inch pieces and score with a fork.

Meanwhile, fill a large pot with water.  Boil gnocchi  for 2 minutes extra after they start to float.

Gnocchi and Marinara Sauce

Washed and scrubbed potatoes

Cooked and peeled potatoes in the food processor.

Processed potatoes

Dough rolled

Boiled Gnocchi