HEY happy Thursday guess what?? I finally did it! I cooked up pillowy, fluffy, homemade potato gnocchi and I'm ridiculously proud of myself. It took a bunch of recipe testing to figure this one out and I'm beyond excited to share the final product with you. Pats on the back are deserved amiright?
Tip #1: I tried this recipe with Yukon gold potatoes and with russet potatoes and I found that the russets were absolutely the winner here. The Yukon golds are quite a bit more waxy and don't hold the dough together nearly as well as the starchy russet.
Tip #2: BAKE the potatoes. Not boil. I know I know it sounds like blasphemy. Traditionally, the potatoes for gnocchi are boiled and then mashed. However, they absorb a lot more water this way, making for a much denser, heavier dough. So skip the boiling and throw them in the oven! Less hands on time and fluffy gnocchi? Win win!
Tip #3: Use a potato ricer. Now before you say "WHY would I have a piece of equipment for just one type of food?"(because that's what I would say) hear me out. A potato ricer will give you the smoothest dough, NO lumps to be found, which is absolutely necessary for soft, pillowy gnocchi. I tried using a masher several times and it didn't work nearly as well...as in sometimes straight up didn't work. So set yourself up for success and trust me on the potato ricer option. It will also come in handy every time you want to make mashed potatoes!
Tip #4: Add an egg yolk. I tested out versions of the dough with a whole egg, an egg yolk, and without an egg. I found a whole egg made the dough too dense. However, adding an egg yolk was just right. It might make your gnocchi aย smidge denser, but I didn't really notice and it was well worth keeping the dough together!
Tip #5: Be very gently with the dough and try not to over work it when rolling it out. Otherwise you end up with tough, chewy gnocchi. Ick.
Welp! That's it. A few tips that are of course written in the homemade gnocchi potato recipe below. Ready to get your pasta on?? Scroll down!
Homemade Potato Gnocchi
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
Description
Easy beginner's recipe for soft, fluffy, pillowy gnocchi made from scratch with just 5 ingredients!
Ingredients
- 2 ยฝ lbs russet potatoes (no need to peel!)
- 1 ยฝ cups "00" flour or unbleached, all purpose flour
- 1 egg yolk, beaten
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- ยฝ teaspoon ground black pepper
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400หF. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scrub the russet potatoes clean and pierce with a fork. Place them on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the oven until tender (inside can break apart easily with a fork), about 1 hour to 1 ยฝ hours. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes, until cool enough to handle.
- Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the insides into a small bowl. Pass them through the potato ricer into a large bowl. Alternatively, scoop the insides into a large bowl and mash until no lumps are visible.
- Put 1 cup of the flour onto a clean surface. Tip the potatoes onto the flour and gently start to incorporate the flour into the potatoes.
- Make a well in the center of the mixture. Add the egg, salt, and pepper, then continue to incorporate with your hands until a dough begins to form.
- Knead the dough until it becomes smooth. If sticky, add the remaining flour as needed. Be careful with dough, don't overwork it or you'll end up with tough, dense gnocchi.
- Form the dough into a disc and dived into 4 equal pieces.
- Prepare another baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper and sprinkle with a little flour. Roll each piece of dough into a 1 inch thick rope, then cut into 1 inch pieces and place on the preparedย baking sheet.*
- To cook: Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Add gnocchi in batches and cook until they are tender and float on top of the water, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain and either toss immediately with the desired sauce or saute in a large sauce pan with a little butter and olive oil first to a toasted, golden outside and then toss with sauce as desired.* Serve immediately.
Notes
To freeze gnocchi, place on a flat surface in the freezer. Once completely frozen solid, keep in a sealed container. When ready to cook, do not that but throw straight into the pot of boiling water.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
bonnie says
can these be made with gluten free all purpose flour?