Pasta lovers will love this one—here the Sardinian version of gnocchi, called ladeddos, is accented with a touch of mint. This Sardinian custom is not something American chefs have fully adopted but should; mint adds a unique, fresh element to savory dishes. The traditional gnocchi is made with flour, potatoes, eggs, and some cheese, but ladeddos are more simply prepared with potatoes, semolina, and salt.
2 pounds potatoes, peeled (Yukon gold work well, but any will do)
4 cups whole wheat flour
4 cups semolina flour
11⁄4 teaspoons salt
5 teaspoons chopped mint
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Quick and Chunky Tomato Sauce
Bring a salted pot of water to a boil.
Boil potatoes until half tender, about 15 minutes.
Drain and let cool.
Rice the potatoes with a potato ricer or masher in a medium bowl.
Add flour, semolina, and salt and knead to combine thoroughly into a smooth, firm dough that should not be too sticky.
Roll the dough into snakes, about 1 inch thick, and cut into 1-inch pieces.
Bring another pot of water to a boil; drop pasta into boiling water and cook until the pieces float to the top, about 4 minutes.
Drain, toss with mint and olive oil, and serve with tomato sauce.
Pro tip: Simmer sauce in a separate pan while the gnocchi cooks.
After you drain the gnocchi, immediately add it to the simmering sauce for about 30 seconds; this melds the sauce to the gnocchi.
