Sorry Annaba..I totally forgot about this thread..
as for questions about the gnocchi it takes a bit of time and practice..
I use a potato ricer ( greatest invention since the wheel ) and it takes hands of years of burns to peel them hot potatoes..the reason for not for peeling your potatoes first is that they absorb to much water while cooking..at the restaurant we use to bake the potatoes but
found it easier at home to just boil them hole, pour into a colander and they dry off fast from the heat..I've been making those suckers since the 80s and my mom and an Italian chef got me dialed in but as with most things I like to cook I'll change it around to my way of doing things..practice makes perfect..
as for pasta been making it since I was a little bambino..
in the RR household I make it once a week..
since I've gotten lazy in my old age I've simplified making it to perfection..
in a food processor add 1/2 cup of semolina flour, 1 and 1/2 cups all purpose non bleached flour with a pinch of salt..turn it on and slowly add 8 egg yolks in about 30 seconds with a splash of olive oil..then pour in cold water until it forms a solid ball of dough about a quarter cup..do not add to much water or it'll turn out like chit..
knead it for a few minutes by hand..flatten it out into a pancake shape, wrap in food wrap and refrigerate it for and hour..cut into quarters and roll it out or I use my 30 year old Lusso Atlas cranker down to # 5 from # 1..then cut it up into fettuccine or spaghetti..you'll need lots of flour during this process on your work surface..once cut up I make little nests on cookie sheets and freeze em for a few hours and then place the nests in freezer bags..
this way I cook pasta any time I want and there's no way to tell the difference from fresh to frozen..another tip..don't pour your pasta into a colander..use tongs or a slotted spoon and toss it directly into your sauce or butter..
the boiling water from the pasta helps to bind your pasta to the sauce..just don't over cook it..
have fun
arty: