Homemade gnocchi is pillow soft bites of fluffy potato pasta. Pair it with herb-roasted butternut squash or serve it with your favorite sauce.
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Key Takeaways:
- Simple Ingredients: Homemade gnocchi requires just three ingredients: potatoes (preferably russet), eggs, and flour. The right balance of flour is crucial to achieving the perfect texture.
- Potato Preparation: Potatoes can be boiled or baked before being riced. Baking is preferable for a lower-humidity environment, while boiled potatoes may need extra flour.
- Gentle Mixing: Mixing and kneading the dough should be done gently to avoid tough gnocchi. Resting the dough for 20 minutes is essential for better shaping and cooking results.
- Shaping Techniques: Roll the dough into thin logs and cut it into segments. For a traditional look, use a gnocchi board or fork to create grooves that help sauces cling better.
- Cooking Instructions: Gnocchi is ready to eat when it floats to the top of boiling salted water. Cook in small batches to ensure even cooking.
- Freezing Tips: Freeze uncooked gnocchi on a sheet pan in a single layer. Vacuum-packed gnocchi lasts up to six months, while gnocchi in a ziplock bag lasts 1-2 months.
What is Homemade Gnocchi Made out of?
Homemade Gnocchi has 3 simple ingredients: potatoes, eggs, and flour. Think potato pasta. The potatoes are russet, a dry low moisture potato. The flour is the key ingredient. Too much flour and your gnocchi are tough and chewy. Too little flour and the gnocchi becomes mush when it’s boiled. I use a combination of half pastry and half all-purpose flour. If you don’t have pastry flour, use only all-purpose. The gnocchi will be a little firmer but still delicious. Add 1 1/4 cups of flour initially. If the potatoes are boiled, or the kitchen is warm and humid, you will likely need the additional 1/4 cup. If the potatoes are baked, and it is a low humidity day, no extra flour is needed.
How Do I Make The Homemade Gnocchi?
Cook the potatoes. Either peel and boil, or bake. Once the potatoes are cooked, let them cool, then rice them with a potato ricer. (click here for a potato ricer) Whisk the egg with the salt and drizzle over the riced potatoes. Gently mix the egg into the potatoes by tossing with a fork or your fingers. Finally, sprinkle 1-1/4 cups of the flour on the potato egg mixture and again toss with a fork to coat or your fingers. Gentle is the key in making gnocchi. Bring the mixture together to form a soft dough and knead a few times. Add the additional 1/4 of a cup of flour if the dough is extra sticky. Rest the dough for 20 minutes.
Shaping The Homemade Gnocchi:
Cut a piece of dough off and form a long log, 1/2-inch in diameter. Cut the log into 1-inch segments. These pieces of gnocchi can be cooked without further shaping. However, if you want to shape them into the traditional shape, use a gnocchi board or fork. To shape the gnocchi, press gently on the gnocchi while rolling it down the fork or board. This creates the groves in the gnocchi.
Cooking the Homemade Gnocchi:
Fill a 3-quart kettle with water and bring to a boil. Add 1 tsp. of salt and cook the gnocchi in batches. About 10-12 gnocchi at a time. When the gnocchi floats to the surface of the water, it is cooked. Remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon to a bowl.
Extra homemade gnocchi can be frozen prior to cooking. Freeze on a sheet pan in a single layer. Keep the gnocchi pieces separated. Once frozen, vacuum pack or place in a ziplock freezer bag. Vacuum packed gnocchi will keep up to 6 months in the freezer. Gnocchi in a ziplock bag will keep for 1-2 months.
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FAQ:
Q: What are the main ingredients in homemade gnocchi?
A: Homemade gnocchi is made from potatoes (preferably russet), eggs, and flour. The key is balancing the flour to achieve a soft, non-chewy texture.
Q: Can I substitute pastry flour with all-purpose flour?
A: Yes, you can use all-purpose flour if you don’t have pastry flour. The gnocchi will be slightly firmer but still delicious.
Q: How do I know if my gnocchi dough has the right consistency?
A: The dough should be soft and slightly sticky. Add additional flour sparingly if the dough feels too sticky or wet.
Q: Do I have to shape the gnocchi?
A: Shaping is optional. While the traditional shape with grooves helps sauces cling better, unshaped gnocchi is equally delicious.
Q: How do I cook homemade gnocchi?
A: Boil salted water and cook the gnocchi in batches of 10-12 pieces. Once they float to the surface, they’re ready to be removed with a slotted spoon.
Q: Can I freeze homemade gnocchi?
A: Yes! Freeze uncooked gnocchi in a single layer on a sheet pan before transferring to a vacuum bag or ziplock bag. Vacuum-packed gnocchi can last up to six months, while ziplock-stored gnocchi lasts 1-2 months.
Homemade Gnocchi
Equipment
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Ingredients
Gnocchi
- 1 lb Russet Potatoes 3 medium potatoes if you peel and boil them. If you bake them and scoop them out, use 4 medium potatoes. (213g)
- 1½ cup Flour all-purpose (180g)
- 1 large Egg
- ½ tsp Salt
Instructions
- Bake the potatoes until soft, and scoop them out. (see notes) Alternately; peel and boil potatoes until soft. Drain, let dry and cool before you start to roast the squash or make the gnocchi.
Gnocchi
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour.
- Rice the potatoes onto a sheet pan with a potato ricer.
- Beat the egg with the salt and mix it into the potatoes with a fork.
- Sprinkle the potatoes with 1 1/4 cup of the flour and gently knead to mix. The dough should be soft but not sticky. Add more flour if needed. (see notes) Cover and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
- Cut a piece of dough off with a bench knife, and roll it to form a long rope 1/2-inch in diameter.
- Cut the rope into pieces 1-inch long.
- Use a gnocchi roller or fork to give the gnocchi its classic shape. The gnocchi can also be cooked without being shaped.
- To cook the gnocchi: Bring a pot of water to boil, add a tsp of salt to the boiling water. Drop the gnocchi into the boiling water. Cook in small batches (see notes).
- When the gnocchi floats to the surface of the water, it is cooked. Use a slotted spoon to remove the gnocchi from the boiling water. Add your favorite sauce.
- The gnocchi can be frozen on a sheet pan and then vacuum packed for storage for up to 6 months. Alternately, store the frozen gnocchi in a ziplock freezer bag for up to a month.
