Description

Homemade gnocchi is not an impossible quest. With a little practice and patience, enjoy fluffy potato pillows at home, as often as you like, for a fraction of the restaurant price tag.

Ingredients

Scale

3 large, room temperature russet potatoes (just over 2 lbs.)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
4 oz. all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1 t kosher salt
Unsalted butter (optional; for browning or serving)
Olive oil, ground black pepper, parmesan cheese, fresh chopped herbs, or sauce of your choice for serving

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees while you wash and dry the potatoes, then carefully poke them all over with a fork (in about 10 to 12 evenly spaced places). Place directly on the middle oven rack and bake until easily speared lengthwise with a skewer, about 50 minutes. While potatoes cook, gather tools and set up for remaining steps.
Peel hot potatoes with a paring knife, break or cut roughly into quarters, and place in a medium, heatproof mixing bowl, discarding skins. Pass potatoes through a potato ricer or food mill onto a baking tray lined with paper towels or a clean dish towel and cool 5 minutes. Weigh 16 ounces (1 pound) of riced potatoes and place into the mixing bowl. Save any extra potatoes for another use.
Pour egg over potatoes and fold together with a fork until just combined. Sprinkle or sift 4 ounces flour and the salt into the bowl, again using the fork to gently combine until slightly crumbly but no dry pockets of flour remain. Press dough together with hands in one motion.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured, clean, dry work surface. Knead about 1 minute, pressing and folding dough over itself with your hands, until it just comes together into a smooth, consistent ball.
Divide dough into eight approximately equal sized pieces. Flouring the work surface as needed, use hands to gently roll each piece into a rope 1/2″ in diameter. Cut ropes into 3/4″ lengths. For smooth gnocchi, follow instructions below for storage and/or cooking.
For ridged gnocchi, use thumb to roll each dumpling, starting with the cut side, over the back of the tines of a floured fork, from base to points. Place formed gnocchi onto a floured, parchment-lined baking tray. To cook or test a few gnocchi, gently drop into a pot of boiling water. Boil gently for 90 seconds to 2 minutes, until just after gnocchi float to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon or spider strainer. Serve immediately, or keep warm in a bowl with a bit of olive oil. To brown gnocchi for a crisped, flavorful exterior, cook in batches in a nonstick skillet in butter melted over medium heat, a minute or two on each side.
To store gnocchi, refrigerate on baking tray, covered in plastic wrap, up to 24 hours. Or, freeze the same way until hardened, then transfer to an airtight, freezer safe container. Frozen gnocchi require about 30 seconds to 1 minute longer cooking time.

Notes

Measuring ingredients by weight for first-time gnocchi makers is imperative. Accurate, inexpensive kitchen scales are widely available.

Due to the quantity of egg, I wouldn’t recommend adjusting the yield of the recipe. If you need more or fewer gnocchi, either repeat the recipe in batches or freeze extra gnocchi for later.

Egg isn’t always considered a traditional gnocchi ingredient, but it’s extremely helpful in achieving proper consistency of the dough so the dumplings hold together while cooking.

Prep Time: 1 hour 45 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Category: Pasta
Cuisine: Italian