Instructions: Place the potatoes, basil, garlic, salt, flour, ricotta, egg whites, and Parmesan in a food processor bowl and blend for about 1 minute, until a sticky dough is formed. If necessary stop and scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula to help blend well. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Turn out the chilled dough onto a well -floured surface. With floured hands, divide the dough into four sections and shape each section into a log about 1 inch in diameter. With a sharp knife, cut each log into 1 inch rounds. Using your palms, shape the rounds into balls and arrange them in a single layer on a floured platter.

Bring one or more large pots of salted water to a rapid boil and cook the gnocchi in small batches for 6 to 8 minutes per batch. Cook only as many gnocchi as can rise to the surface without sticking together. Carefully remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon to a warmed serving bowl. Keep the first batches warm in a 250 F oven while you finish the final batches.

Serves 6 to 8.

NOTES : These take a bit of time for cooking and chilling, but they are very good and filling, too. They are good with tomato sauce, roasted red pepper sauce (Id be happy to post the recipe if anyone is interested), or in a brothy soup.

Uncooked gnocchi dough balls will keep refrigerated in a covered, lightly oiled bowl for 2 or 3 days, frozen, the dough keeps for about a week. Allow the dough balls to return to room temperature before cooking.

Wrapped and refrigerated, cooked gnocchi keep for 2 or 3 days and can be frozen for 1 to 2 weeks or possibly longer. To serve, bring them to room temperature and then simmer in water or broth for a few minutes.

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.