Potato Gnocchi

In preparation for a week in Rome, we have been eating wonderful handmade Italian food for over a week. One of the things that is much easier to have an excellent experience with at home is gnocchi--in a restaurant they can be ethereal and they can be like lead. You never know. At home, you can make them heavenly every time.
Potato Gnocchi
2 lbs Russet potatoes
Salt to taste
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Steam the potatoes until tender all the way through but not falling apart (a kitchen knife passes all the way through with some resistance). It's important that the potatoes not be overcooked. (Overdone, they will absorb too much water and take up so much flour that the gnocchi will sink like heavy little stones to the bottom of the stomach.)
As soon as the potatoes are tender enough, pass them through the ricer into a large bowl.

Add a healthy pinch of salt and all the flour to the potatoes, working in the flour with a wooden spoon; then knead the dough gently for about 5 minutes on a lightly floured board or wooden work surface.
Divide the dough into 5 to 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 3/4 inch in diameter and 8 to 10 inches long. Cut each snake into regular pieces about 3/4 inch long. Continue until all the dough has been rolled and cut.
Roll each gnocco (yes, that's the singular of gnocchi) along the tines of a fork to impress the soft dough with a pattern--this creates more surface to capture sauce.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil and drop in the gnocchi. (Do this in two or three batches if it's easier.)
Boil the gnocchi until they rise to the top, then remove them with a slotted skimmer and transfer them to a heated platter or bowl.
Serve immediately, with a Butter and Sage sauce.