Directions

1. Place the potatoes in a medium stock pot and cover with water to 1” above the potatoes. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the potatoes pierce through with a fork, approximately 12 minutes. Drain the potatoes and allow them to cool until they’re still warm, but can be easily handled. Using your fingers, remove the peels from the warm potatoes. Process the peeled, still warm potatoes through a potato ricer or a fine grater and allow them to rest till completely cooled.
2. In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the riced potatoes and salt with a fork. Sift the flour atop the potatoes and until combined. Place the potato mixture on a lightly floured countertop and knead lightly just until the gnocchi dough can be formed into a cylinder without breaking. You may need to add additional flour as you knead, but be careful not to add too much. The gnocchi dough should have a somewhat tacky feel, but shouldn’t be able to be lifted off the counter without sticking so much that it breaks.
3. Divide the gnocchi dough into 2 sections and roll each half into a long cylinder rope about 3/4” in diameter. Dust the rope with a sprinkling of semolina flour, to prevent them from sticking as you form them. Using a bench scraper or knife, cut the rope into ½” pieces. Gently press a fork into each cut section of dough to create a gently depression in the gnocchi. Lay the formed gnocchi on a cookie sheet and allow them to air dry for 2 hours. This drying time allows the beautiful purple color from the fingerlings to deepen.
4. Fill a medium stockpot halfway with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, add a tablespoon of salt to the water and lower the heat to medium. Cook the gnocchi in small batches to ensure they don’t stick to each other and clump together in the water. Place enough gnocchi in the boiling water to almost cover the bottom of the pan. Let the gnocchi cook until they rise to the surface, about 2 minutes, and then immediately remove them from the boiling water with a slotted spoon or small sieve. Once all the gnocchi are removed, cook the remaining gnocchi in similarly sized batches.
5. Top the warm gnocchi with a sauce of your choosing and serve immediately.