How To Make Potato Gnocchi - Step By Step

5 from 1 vote

How To Make Potato Gnocchi - Step By Step

Make delicious potato gnocchi from the first try, even if you've never made homemade gnocchi before! With step-by-step picture and headnotes you'll learn all the Italian secrets to soft, pillowy and flavorful gnocchi.

Prep Time45

Cook Time3

Boiling Potatoes40

Total Time48

Course: Pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 140kcal

Author: Svi

Ingredients

2.2 lb potatoes , 1 kilogram
2 heaping cups all purpose flour , 300 grams
1 egg
Salt

Tools

Instructions

Boil potatoes

Wash potatoes and put them in a large pot with cold water. Add salt. Bring potatoes to a boil and cook for 30-40 minutes until tender when poked with a fork. Once fork tender, remove potatoes from water immediately and let cool a little bit.
At this point, you can peel off the skin or simply cut off any imperfections, cut in half, and later pass through the potato ricer which will hold the skin.
TOP TIP: Choose potatoes more or less of the same size for even cooking.

Make gnocchi dough

Sift about ⅓ of all flour on work surface PLUS set 3 tablespoons aside (that you'll add at the very end if needed or use it to roll the gnocchi).
Rice potatoes placing them cut side down (if you've decided to keep the skin on), force the potato through, and remove the skin from the potato ricer.
Using a dough scraper cut riced potatoes to help them cool down further.Add beaten egg, and a few pinches of salt. Incorporate briefly with the dough scraper. Cover the dough with the remaining flour and "chop" it into a crumbly dough.
Using your hands compact the dough into a ball.Don't knead gnocchi dough as you would with pasta or bread dough. Instead help yourself with a dough scraper and simply FOLD the dough onto itself until all flour is incorporated.

Shape gnocchi

Dust your work surface with flour and cut off a piece of dough.Roll a finger-thick rope, approx. ½ inch thick and cut it into ½- ⅔ inch pillows.
Flour wooden gnocchi board. Using your thumb finger, press and roll each pillow over the gnocchi paddle.
If you don't have gnocchi board handy, use a simple tool you sure have - a fork. Roll on the backside of a fork pressing lightly to form the ridges. You can also leave your gnocchi ridge-free. They'll taste great anyway. Once first batch is ready sprinkle it lightly with more flour to prevent from sticking and arrange on a tray.
Repeat the process with the rest of the dough. Cook potato gnocchi within 30 minutes from making otherwise, freeze.

Cook gnocchi

Cook gnocchi by dropping them in salted boiling water give a very gentle stir. Use a LARGE pot or cook in smaller batches. Don't worry, gnocchi cook very fast. Once they rise and float to the top they're are ready to drain.
Don't use your classic colander. Use a skimmer spoon/strainer to drain gnocchi. This way you'll preserve already hot water and can continue cooking the next batch. Make sure the water comes again to a rolling boil before dropping the next batch.

How to freeze

Line a tray, a board or a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange gnocchi in a single layer. Pop in the freezer for 30-40 minutes or until they've become hard. Once frozen transfer to a zip-lock bag. They will keep in the freezer for up to 4 months.
TIP: instead of lining with parchment paper you can dust with flour to prevent gnocchi from sticking to the board.

Notes

TOP TIPS

Choose the right potatoes and cook them correctly. Mature/aged potatoes are the best. Never use freshly harvested or young/baby potatoes. Always boil potatoes for gnocchi with skin on. Don’t check on donness before 30 minute mark as you don’t want potatoes to absorb water through poked holes.
Don’t knead the dough. If you knead gnocchi dough like pasta or bread dough it will need more flour, which will make your gnocchi hard instead of soft and pillowy. Instead, with the help of a dough scraper fold the dough onto itself several times until all flour is absorbed.
Never let the dough rest. Start making gnocchi immediately once the dough is ready. No need to cover it with a towel either. If you let the dough rest it will soften too much will become impossible to work with.
Dust work surface and gnocchi board with flour. This will prevent the dough from sticking.
Cook in small batches. If you crowed the pot too much gnocchi will practically dissolve in water before they even cook. Use a slotted spoon to remove gnocchi that came afloat and use the same boiling water to cook the next batch.

HOW TO STORE

If you don’t plan to consume gnocchi immediately you have to options. Store them on a tray in fridge for up to 4 hours. Freeze following instructions for freezing.

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