Potato Gnocchi with Lemon-Thyme Sauce

Recently, I have been overwhelmed by a desire to make my own pasta. The thought of rolling out sheets of lasagna, or crimping edges or fresh ravioli, is my new favorite daydream. I have stumbled across a few different recipes for homemade gnocchi, all of which claim to be "easy" and "simple" processes. I chose the following recipe to be my first attempt, because it seemed rather straightforward and I figured that if this attempt went well, I could branch out to the other recipes I saw (such as Ricotta Gnocchi - yum!). 

3 pounds russet potatoes

1/2 C plus 1 tablespoon flour

1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt

Cooking Spray

1 gallon water

4 teaspoons butter

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 C finely chopped shallots

Zest from one large lemon

Juice from one large lemon

Dash of kosher salt

2 tablespoons shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 400*. Pierce potatoes with a fork, then bake for 1 hour or until tender. Cool slightly, then peel potatoes. Discard peels. Press cooked potatoes through a potato ricer into a large bowl. Combine potatoes, flour, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Stir well to form a dough.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth. Divide dough into 4 equal portions, shaping each portion into a 20-inch-long rope. Cut each rope into 20 (1-inch) pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Working with 1 dough piece at a time (cover remaining dough to prevent drying), using your thumb, roll the dough piece down the tines of a lightly floured fork. The gnocchi will have ridges on one side and an indentation o the other.

Bring 1 gallon water and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil in a large pot. Add half of the gnocchi to boiling water. Cook for about 1 1/2 minutes, or until gnocchi has risen to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon, and place in a colander to drain. Repeat procedure with remaining gnocchi.

Heat butter and oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and cook for about 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, thyme, pepper and a dash of salt. 

Combine butter mixture, gnocchi and cheese in a large bowl. Toss gently to coat.