Gnocchi with Sausage Cream Sauce

I just created this dish last night.  It is very good, if I do say so myself.

Servings: 6-8

Time:    Prep: 10 minutes, Cook: 25 Minutes

Hardware:  measuring spoons and cups, a cutting board and knives, a can opener, a large heavy-bottom skillet (I prefer a cast iron skillet), a large soup pot, a slotted spoon, a bowl, a colander

Gnocchi are fluffy potato dumplings

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 oz Italian sausage (spicy or mild)
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 small onion (1 cup)
• 1 small red bell pepper
• 4 oz baby Portobello mushrooms
• 2~14.5 oz. cans of diced tomatoes-Undrained
• 1 sprig rosemary
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 cup cream
• 4 leaves of basil
• 4 quarts of water
• 16 oz gnocchi
• Salt & pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese

Garlic bread

1. Heat the oil in the skillet on medium.
2. Remove the sausage from the casing, cook and crumble, until it’s no longer pink.  (About 7 minutes)
3. Put 4 quarts of salted water on to boil.
4. While the sausage is cooking prep the veggies.  Dice the onion and garlic.  Wash and slice the mushrooms.  Remove the seeds and white ribs from the pepper.  Cut it into long, thin strips. Set aside
5. Remove the sausage with the slotted spoon and place it in the bowl.  Set aside.
6. Drain most of the fat from the pan.
7. Place the veggies in the pan and sauté over medium heat until the onions are clear. (About 5 minutes)
8. Return the sausage to the pan.  Stir in the tomatoes, wine, and pepper flakes.  Throw in the whole sprig of rosemary. 
9. Allow this to boil vigorously for about 8 minutes.  Stir occasionally.
10. Stack the basil leaves and roll them up.  Cut them into very fine strips.  Set aside.
11. Add the gnocchi to the salted water.  They will only take about 4 minutes to cook.  They are done when they float. 
12. While waiting for the gnocchi, turn the heat under the sauce to low.  Stir in the cream and basil.  Fish out the rosemary stem.  It will be naked.
13. As soon as the gnocchi begin to float, drain them.  Add them to the sauce immediately. 
14. S&P to taste.
15. Serve right away.

Serve with garlic bread.  Offer your guests Parmesan.

10.  This is called chiffonade