Description
Easy beginner's recipe for soft, fluffy, pillowy gnocchi made from scratch with just 5 ingredients!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 1/2 lbs russet potatoes (no need to peel!)
- 1 1/2 cups "00" flour or unbleached, all purpose flour
- 1 egg yolk, beaten
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400˚F. 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 1/2 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 prepared 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
