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I love Italian food. It is my favorite…ok, I have a lot of favorites, but it is up there for sure! My brother lived in Italy for 2 years and I was lucky enough to go back with him for a fun trip after we graduated college. We had a great time touring the country. I loved everything about Italy, but the food was my favorite. Gelato number one and gnocchi number two!
My favorite meal was in Cinque Terre, which is along Northern Italy’s Rivera coast. After a long day of hiking, we settled down at a fine restaurant. We had a table outside with a lovely view. With my brother’s assistance, I ordered homemade gnocchi with pesto. The little potato dumplings were fresh and oh so tasty. I had the perfect meal, in the perfect place.
Ever since then, I have had a longing for good gnocchi, but it is hard to find. The store bought stuff doesn’t do it justice. Since we are newlyweds and can’t afford to travel to Italy every week to eat gnocchi…we decided to make it ourselves. How hard could it be, potatoes, flour, salt???
We purchased a potato ricer for this cooking adventure. You want to make sure the potatoes are really smooth!! You don’t want chunks in your gnocchi! The recipe is basic, but getting the right combination of flour and potatoes is the tricky part. You don’t want the gnocchi to be mushy, but you don’t want them to be dry and tough either.
We rolled out one rope and tested the gnocchi. I recommend doing this. Ours were mushy at first so we had to add more flour. Once you get the right consistency you can roll out the rest of the ropes and cut away! It was fun! We did the traditional “fork” trick so they would look authentic:) It only took a couple of minutes to boil them. We served the gnocchi with a roasted pepper sauce. So good!!
All said and done, I was impressed with our first gnocchi adventure. Of course, it didn’t beat my meal in Italy, but I don’t know if I can ever top that one!! We will be making these again…and again!
Homemade Gnocchi
2 pounds Russet potatoes
1 ½ cups flour (you might need more, add it slowly though)
1 ½ teaspoons salt (or to your taste)
Wash potatoes and place them in a large pot of boiling water. I salted the water. Boil until tender, about 45 minutes. When soft remove them from the water and let cool.
- Peel the potatoes, and then pass them through a potato ricer, into a large bowl. (If you don’t have a ricer, use a food mill or try grating them. I hear it works.) Let the potatoes cool to room temperature.
- Add salt to the potatoes. Next, add the flour a little at a time, using only as much as you need so that the dough will not stick to your hands. When the flour has been incorporated, bring the dough together with your fingertips.
- Dump the dough and any remaining floury bits onto a slightly floured surface. Knead the dough as you would bread dough
- Form the dough into a ball and then divide it into six smaller balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one of the six pieces using your fingertips into a long rope about ¾ inch thick. Cut the dough into 1 inch pieces. Before we did all of the dough we tested the gnocchi. Roll out one rope and cut a piece off. Place it in salted boiling water. If it is too mushy, add more flour to the rest of your dough. We had to add more flour so I am glad we tested it outJ
- When all of your gnocchi is cut, press each piece of dough against the tines of a fork. With your finger, gently roll the pressed dough back off the fork. This takes a little practice. If you find the dough sticking to the fork, dip the fork in flour before you press the dough against it. It gives the gnocchi a nice look!
- To cook the gnocchi, place them into a pot of boiling and well-salted water. After a few minutes the gnocchi will float to the top. Continue to cook for one minute then remove and set aside.
- To freeze gnocchi-lay them out on a baking sheet, in a single layer. Freeze for about one hour and then place into freezer bags. When you are ready to cook them, don’t defrost, just follow the cooking instructions above.
FAQs
Yukon Gold Potatoes are THE BEST potatoes for homemade gnocchi. They're dense, creamy, semi-waxy and do not retain too much moisture (if you love Yukon's for mashed potatoes, they make exquisite gnocchi).
Should you bake or boil potatoes for gnocchi? ›
The secret to the lightest, most tender potato gnocchi is to bake the potatoes instead of boiling them. A baked potato is dryer than one that has been boiled, which means you avoid having to add more flour to the dough to account for excess moisture, a practice that leads to over-kneaded, tough gnocchi.
Is it better to boil or fry gnocchi? ›
The downside is that boiling can result in gummy, waterlogged gnocchi if you cook them too long. This is more of an issue when boiling store-bought gnocchi than with homemade ones. Frying gnocchi in a little butter or oil takes more effort, and the dumplings will be crisp on the outside, chewy and soft on the inside.
Is gnocchi better or worse for you than pasta? ›
Nutritional Value
Believe it or not, regular pasta is actually more carb-heavy than gnocchi, coming in at around 2 times the amount of carbs per serving. Gnocchi is also notorious for having a lot more sodium, with over 200 grams of it per serving. Regular pasta doesn't have nearly as high of a sodium content.
Should you let gnocchi dough rest? ›
Cut your dough into 6 pieces and roll them each into fat ropes about as thick as your thumb. Some people recommend resting the dough at this stage for 30 minutes but we haven't found any difference in the finished gnocchi by doing this.
What should you not do when making gnocchi? ›
Don't overwork the dough: When making gnocchi dough, it's important not to overwork it. Overworking the dough can make the gnocchi tough and chewy. Mix the ingredients together just until the dough comes together, and then stop mixing! You're not kneading bread here.
What is the best flour for gnocchi? ›
Italian flour
Plus, it has too much protein: High-protein wheat results in chewy gnocchi. If you want to be true to Italian gnocchi, look for imported Italian flour marked "00 tenero," which is milled from soft wheat with a low protein content.
Is there a difference between gnocchi and potato gnocchi? ›
Unlike potato gnocchi, Roman gnocchi (Gnocchi alla romana), are made with semolina instead of potatoes and flour, that's why they are also called Semolina gnocchi. Roman gnocchi are shaped differently than potato gnocchi.
How does Gordon Ramsay cook gnocchi? ›
Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the gnocchi, tilting the pan from side to side briefly to stop them sticking together, then simmer for about 1½–2 minutes until they start to float. Drain the gnocchi and leave them to steam-dry for 1–2 minutes. Meanwhile, start to make the sauce.
Which is better potato or ricotta gnocchi? ›
Comparatively speaking, ricotta gnocchi are quicker to prepare (just mix everything together- no potatoes to boil here!) and the texture is light and fluffy, in a unique “spongey” type way. As for the taste, potato gnocchi taste like…. potato, whereas ricotta gnocchi are more mild in flavor.
Test the Gnocchi:
Right after making your dough, cut off a small, bite-size piece of gnocchi, roll it over a gnocchi board if you wish, and boil it until tender. If it stays together, it's good to go! If it disintegrates, you need more flour.
Is gnocchi better with or without egg? ›
Egg yolk added to your gnocchi dough helps improve texture, and keep it together while cooking. Gnocchi is traditionally made with eggs in Veneto and no eggs in Piedmont, the two Northern Italian regions famous for gnocchi. We vote for egg yolks at the rate of 1 per (500g) 1 lb of uncooked potatoes used.
Should gnocchi float when cooked? ›
Poach gnocchi in batches in a pan of lightly salted water for 2-4 minutes. Cooked gnocchi will float to the top. Strain and serve immediately with a good pasta sauce.
Why are russet potatoes best for gnocchi? ›
Russets are dryer and hold less water, making them ideal for gnocchi making. Because of their dry and starchy texture, they may require less flour than other varieties, yielding an airier texture, and making them an excellent choice for a beginner or anyone who wants a no-fuss gnocchi experience.
Are Yukon Gold and yellow potatoes the same? ›
The Yukon Gold potato, though yellow fleshed, is a cross between a yellow and a white potato and is usually labeled as such. A “yellow” or “gold” potato is not a Yukon Gold potato, but all three potatoes have similar starch contents and flavors and can be used interchangeably in recipes.
Which potatoes are best for which? ›
Here's a quick reference on which types of potatoes are ideal for which type of cooking technique:
- Baking: Russet, long white, Peruvian.
- Boiled: New potatoes, round red, white.
- Fried: Russets and white.
- Roasted: New potatoes, russets, Peruvian, long whites.
- Mashed: Russets, long white, yellow.
Mealy or starchy potatoes are high density potatoes and have high levels of starch. These potatoes are great to make baked potatoes or potato puree (and, therefore, gnocchi!). When they are cooked, they become soft.
