In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the oil. Slowly stir in the ricotta until smooth. Finally, slowly add 1¾ cups of flour and mix well. The dough will be sticky and wet.

Scatter the remaining ¾ cup of flour on your work surface. Spoon the dough out onto the floured surface and knead it to blend well into a ball. The dough should be smooth, soft and slightly sticky.

Divide the dough into four pieces and shape each piece into thin logs, about ½ inch in diameter. Cover the logs with a dishcloth to keep them from drying out.

Working with one log at a time, slice ½-inch pieces from the log. Place this piece in the palm of your hand and roll it toward you with a fork to make indentations and form a bit of a cup (to help hold the sauce). Dip the prongs of your fork in flour to keep them from getting sticky as you go along. As you make the gnocchi, place them on a floured cookie sheet and cover them with a dishtowel to keep them from drying out.

To cook, carefully drop a handful of gnocchi in a large pot of salted boiling water. When they float to the top, give them about 15 seconds more and then transfer them from the pot into a serving bowl with a slotted spoon.

Nonni preferred to serve her “knochies” with a red “gravy.” They are delicious with pesto as well. If you are not cooking the gnocchi right away, they can be frozen. Freeze on a cookie sheet and then transfer to a sealed bag.

Serves 6-8