Homemade Gnocchi

Gnocchi [pronunciation: nyohkey] are actually Italian potato dumplings. With a wide range of serving suggestions and combinations, it’s a base that is truly limitless in its ability to please the palate and take you on new taste experiences. This homemade gnocchi is simple, delicious, and easier to make than you probably think.

Gnocchi Preparation

Let’s take a look at how to make pillowy, soft, and fluffy gnocchi. Here, you’ll find the traditional Italian form of gnocchi (and the best, in my opinion). Scroll down for the recipe.

Cook your potatoes unpeeled in boiling water – it takes 30 minutes. To get a melt-in-your-mouth texture, it is essential that you choose the right kind of potatoes; to make your gnocchi perfect, use starchy russet potatoes.

When done, remove the pot from the heat and pour out the hot water. Then, take your hot potatoes and peel off their skins. To avoid burning yourself, stick a fork deep in your potato so that you don’t have to touch it. Hold the fork with the potato with your preferred hand, take a small sharp knife, and slice around the potato skin in a circular motion with your other hand.

Sprinkle a small amount of flour and salt onto the kitchen counter for seasoning and to keep the potato together. Use a potato masher or ricer to mash your potatoes then place them on your kitchen counter.

Use your hands to gently bring the dough together.

Chef’s Tip: Knead the dough and add small amounts of flour gradually until your dough is no longer sticking to your fingers and ensure it is not too soft. It doesn’t take long at all, and then you can add the egg and continue kneading. As you can see in the picture, there is no need to get a completely smooth dough. Knead until the dough forms a ball.

Shape small portions of the dough (2.2 lb potatoes make approx. 8 small portions) into long “snakes” (about 3/4 in. diameter). Remember to shape the dough with gentle motions, and add plenty of flour to your kitchen counter.

Use a sharp knife to cut out 2-3 cm long square bites.

Italians use a traditional wooden gnocchi board or the back of a fork (as the picture below shows) to indent gnocchi dough bites.

Chef’s Tip: Simply position a dough segment on the back of a dinner fork. Then, with a definite motion, slowly roll the segment down the length of the fork tines while simultaneously pressing lightly on the dough with your thumb to form a shallow indentation in the back. You will be able to tell how hard to press with your thumb. These patterns allow the sauce to be absorbed by the gnocchi, so you will have an even more delicious pasta.

Let your dough segments rest for 15 minutes. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil, add salt when the water is rolling. Put some gnocchi into the water and wait until they come back to the surface. When they do, they’re ready.

Serving ideas

In Italy, gnocchi is traditionally eaten as a first course (primo piatto), as an alternative to soups (minestrone) or pasta. You can even serve it as a main course, especially when you prepare a delicious sauce for it. Gnocchi as the main course can be very filling because of the thick potato pasta, so it’s often best to serve it with a light sauce to balance the heaviness of the potatoes. 

You can add melted butter or even sage. Serve hot straight away with Italian pasta sauces as they pair perfectly with gnocchi. As Italian cooking is mainly about simplicity, you can get perfect gnocchi by sprinkling them with a small amount of olive oil and Parmesan cheese. If you want something with a little more flair, you can even add simple tomato sauce. For me, I chose a creamy mushroom sauce as the picture below illustrates.