Basic Potato Gnocchi

Yield Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients
    2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
    2 pounds Yukon gold or russet potatoes
    1 tablespoon plus 2 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
    2 large eggs
    1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Method
Lightly flour a baking sheet; set aside. Put potatoes in a large saucepan, and cover with cold water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil; add 1 tablespoon salt. Reduce to a simmer; cook until potatoes are very tender, about 25 minutes.
   
Drain potatoes. When they are cool enough to handle, peel them, then pass them through a ricer or food mill into a medium bowl. Sprinkle with the flour, and add the eggs. Sprinkle with remaining 2 1/2 teaspoons salt and the pepper. Stir mixture with a fork to combine well.
   
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface; gently knead until it is soft and smooth, about 3 minutes. Divide dough into 4 to 6 pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope about 3/4-inch thick. Cut ropes crosswise into 1-inch gnocchi.
   
Roll a cut side of each dumpling against the tines of a fork with your thumb (each piece will have ridges on one side and an indentation on the other). Set aside on the floured baking sheet until ready to cook.

Cook's Note
You can use this recipe to make spinach gnocchi: Thaw a 10-ounce package of frozen spinach, very finely chop the leaves, and squeeze out moisture. Add it to the potatoes in the bowl, and sprinkle with an additional 2 tablespoons flour. Formed gnocchi can be refrigerated on a floured baking sheet, uncovered, up to 12 hours.