Homemade Potato Gnocchi – Recipes From Europe

Ingredients

To make this gnocchi recipe at home, you will need the following ingredients:

• Potatoes – Medium-sized “young” potatoes are ideal, but most potato varieties will work for gnocchi. Russet potatoes are a great option too.
• Flour – You can use regular white all-purpose flour, but for best results choose white flour with high protein content (at least 12%). This gives the dough a nice chewiness and elasticity.
• Egg – Preferably one medium egg. When using a large egg, you may have to add slightly more flour.
• Salt – To salt the water.
• Water – To boil the potatoes and gnocchi.

Recipe Tips

• Choose smaller young potatoes if possible – you won’t have to cut them before cooking (so they won’t absorb extra water) and they are easier to mash.
• Be patient when mashing the potatoes to ensure there are no large unmashed pieces since it will affect the texture of the gnocchi.
• The perfect dough consistency should be soft and smooth but not too sticky. If it feels too sticky, you can add a bit more flour.
• Properly cooked gnocchi should be bouncy and chewy. Keep an eye on them since they overcook quickly.

How to Make Homemade Gnocchi – Step by Step Instructions

First, cut the raw potatoes into a few large pieces if they are large. You don’t need to do this for small potatoes. Then boil them in a large pot with enough water to cover the potatoes and a pinch of salt.

Depending on the size of the potatoes, the cooking time may vary. Check if the potatoes are soft by piercing them with a knife.

When they are done, drain the potatoes and let them rest for 5 minutes to cool slightly.

Peel the cooled potatoes, then place them in a bowl and mash with a potato masher until smooth.

Next, crack the egg into the mashed potatoes and add the flour. Mix all the ingredients until well combined. If the dough is too sticky, add a little bit more flour.

Now transfer the mixture to a floured surface and knead until you have a soft dough. Then divide the dough into smaller portions.

Roll each piece of dough into sausages, approximately 3/4 inch (2 cm). Then cut them into smaller pieces, just over 1 inch long (3 cm).

Now round each piece into a ball using your palms.

At this point, the gnocchi are ready to use, but for added texture, you can create ridges using a gnocchi maker or the back of a fork.

With a gnocchi maker, place the gnocchi in the center of the gnocchi maker and roll down, pressing gently with your thumb. This will create ridges on one side and a small cove on the other side.

If you’re using a fork, place the fork down with the back of the fork facing up. Then roll the gnocchi down the tines of the fork using your thumb to achieve a similar shape to that of a gnocchi maker.

When you’re done, place the gnocchi on a lightly floured surface.

Cover them with a kitchen towel and let them rest for about 1 hour. This way the ridges won’t disappear during cooking.

Once they are done resting, boil the gnocchi in salted water for approximately 4 to 5 minutes, or until they float to the surface.

Then toss the cooked gnocchi with the sauce of your choice and plenty of parmesan cheese. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Serving Suggestions

• Most traditional sauce: Marinara Sauce.
• Other classic options: Sage-infused butter (see instructions for sage butter in our Tortelloni Recipe) or pesto genovese.
• For a different twist, pan-fry the gnocchi after boiling. Drain well and sear in pan with a drizzle of olive oil, then add ingredients of choice (e.g. garlic, olive oil and chili to make “aglio, olio e pepperocino” gnocchi).

Storage Tips

Raw Gnocchi: Avoid storing raw gnocchi in the fridge as they tend to lose their shape and become sticky. However, you can freeze them and use them later.

For this, arrange them on a floured plate or baking sheet, ensuring they don’t touch each other, and place in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer the gnocchi to a freezer-safe sealable container or bag. Frozen homemade gnocchi can be stored for 3 months.

You can cook the frozen gnocchi directly from frozen by adding them to boiling water. They will float to the surface when done.

Cooked Gnocchi: Store leftover cooked gnocchi in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, cook them in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil until heated.

Related Recipes

Here are some other Italian dishes – mostly pasta dishes – that you might like to make next: