These homemade gnocchi are light and fluffy with just the right amount of chew– and they pair perfectly with any sauce! Not to mention, they’re so much easier than making fresh pasta! If you have some leftover baked potatoes, this is the perfect recipe to use them up! More information in the recipe background below!
How to Make Homemade Gnocchi
step one: cook & mash the potatoes
Poke the potatoes with a fork and cook them in the microwave on 2 minute interverals until they’re fork tender in the center. It usually take about 10 minutes. Remove the skins from the potatoes and discard them. Place the potato pieces in the bowl of a food processor and pulse just until they are riced– about 10 pulses. Alternatley, you can grate the cooled potatoes with a cheese grater. Dump the potatoes onto a lightly floured surface and smash any large chunks with a fork. You don’t want any lumps in your gnocchi!
step three: Add flour, salt, & eggs
Make a well in the potatoes. Sprinkle the half the flour flour and salt evenly around the potatoes. Crack the egg into the center of the potatoes and beat it lightly with a fork. Gradually begin to incorporate the remaining flour into the egg mixture. When the egg is no longer runny and has a pudding-like consistency, start kneading the egg into the potatoes with your hands.
step four: Knead lightly
It should only take about a minute before the dough comes fully together. Don’t worry– it will look very dry for the first 10-20 seconds. Once the flour is incorporated, don’t overmix or you will end up with tough gnocchi. Once the gnocchi comes together, lightly flour your work surface again (and as needed, but try not to add too much) and cut the ball into 8 equal pieces.
step five: Cut into squares
Roll the gnocchi into a long rope(abot 10″ long) and cut it into ½” wide pieces. Make sure to keep the gnocchi separated or they will clump into a ball. At this point you can leave the gnocchi exactly how they are or you can shape them using a gnocchi board or fork.
step six: Shape with a gnocchi board (or fork)
For those signature ridges, roll the gnocchi down the board/fork using your thumb to press into the back of it. It should form the ridges on one side and a curved indention on the other. This will help hold your sauce!
The Recipe
Homemade Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 2 medium russet potatoes about 2 cups of mashed potato
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
Instructions
Make the Gnocchi
- Poke the potatoes with a fork and cook them in the microwave on 2 minute interverals until they're fork tender in the center. It usually take about 10 minutes.
- Remove the skins from the potatoes and discard them. Place the potato pieces in the bowl of a food processor and pulse just until they are riced– about 10 pulses. Alternatley, you can grate the cooled potatoes with a cheese grater.
- Dump the potatoes onto a lightly floured surface and smash any large chunks with a fork. You don’t want any lumps in your gnocchi!
- Make a well in the potatoes. Sprinkle the half the flour flour and salt evenly around the potatoes.
- Crack the egg into the center of the potatoes and beat it lightly with a fork.
- Gradually begin to incorporate the remaining flour into the egg mixture. When the egg is no longer runny and has a pudding-like consistency, start kneading the egg into the potatoes with your hands.
- It should only take about a minute before the dough comes fully together. Don’t worry– it will look very dry for the first 10-20 seconds. Once the flour is incorporated, don’t overmix or you will end up with tough gnocchi.
- Once the gnocchi comes together, lightly flour your work surface again (and as needed, but try not to add too much) and cut the ball into 8 equal pieces.
- Roll the gnocchi into a long rope(abot 10" long) and cut it into ½” wide pieces. Make sure to keep the gnocchi separated or they will clump into a ball.
- At this point you can leave the gnocchi exactly how they are or you can shape them using a gnocchi board or fork.
- For those signature ridges, roll the gnocchi down the board/fork using your thumb to press into the back of it. It should form the ridges on one side and a curved indention on the other. This will help hold your sauce!
Cooking the Gnocchi
- If you plan on using the gnocchi within 30 minutes you can leave them on the counter until cooking.
- If you want to make them ahead, simply freeze them on the baking sheet until they are hardened. Then you can transfer them to a plastic bag and keep frozen until you need them! Just cook them straight from frozen– don’t defrost or they will stick together!
- My preferred cooking method is to saute the gnocchi in olive oil (1-2 tbsp depending on how much you’re making) and butter (1 tbsp) until they are golden brown on the outside. Then I finish them for 1-2 minutes in the sauce that I’m pairing them with.
- You can also boil the gnocchi until they float and then add them to your sauce but I find this creates a mushier gnocchi (not my preference).
Nutrition
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