Description
This easy gnocchi recipe ticks off all the right taste and texture boxes and tastes so much better than any store-bought gnocchi you'll ever eat. To help get you there, I've included all of my best gnocchi-making tips and techniques and a 'how to make gnocchi video' to help remove any feelings of intimidation you may have. This is the ultimate guide for how to make homemade gnocchi.
Ingredients
For the potato gnocchi dough:
- 150g Italian 00 Flour with 11% -11.5% protein (1 1/4 cups) (sub King Arthur's unbleached all-purpose flour)
- 500g Yukon Gold Potatoes (1 pound) (sub Kennebec potatoes) *potatoes measured before cooking or peeling
- 1 large egg yolk (from a large egg)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
For the summer sage gnocchi sauce:
- 2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (30-45g)
- 12-14 fresh sage leaves
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed
- salt to taste
- 1/4 cup Grana Padano cheese, or more to taste (25g)
- dried red pepper (optional)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter (15-30g) (optional for a richer sauce)
*I use gram measurements when making gnocchi because it's more consistent, especially when there are already many variables out of your control (i.e., moisture and starch levels in the potatoes and the flour absorption potential). And this recipe has never failed me! However, I've included approximate measuring cup equivalents for those of you without a scale.
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes: Add the potatoes to a medium sauce pot and cover with about 2 inches of water and a little salt to taste. Bring the pot to a boil and cook until fork tender (about 25 minutes). Strain the potatoes and use a fork to hold each potato steady while you use a knife or a spoon to scrape off the skins while they're still hot. Discard the peels, or use them to make homemade broth. *Alternatively, you may bake the potatoes until fork tender (about 1 hour at 400°F/205°C) if desired.
- Make the dough: In a large mixing bowl or on a countertop, mix the flour and salt together using your hand and make a well in the middle. Rice or grate the potatoes into the well while the potatoes are still hot to very warm (you'll see steam coming off of them) and allow them to sit for 1 to 2 minutes to let some steam evaporate. Using a fork, stir the flour and potatoes together until mostly combined and crumbly looking. Add the egg yolk, stir just to incorporate it, and then bring the dough together using your hands. You'll see darker streaks of yolk in the dough and that's perfect.
- Form the dough: Using your hands, form the dough into a rectangle by pressing it and place it onto a non-stick baking mat (or a lightly floured work surface). Press the dough down slightly to form a larger rectangle and fold it like a letter bringing in both sides to the middle. Flatten it once more and fold in the opposite sides like a letter as well. Pinch the dough together and using your hands gently start rolling it into a 16-inch log. Divide it into 4 smaller logs (about 4 inches long each) using a floured bench scraper. The dough will still be warm at this point and feel like a cross between pasta dough and mashed potatoes (sturdy, but soft).
- Let the dough rest: Place the upside-down mixing bowl over the tops of the logs to cover them and allow them to rest for 30 minutes to let the dough relax.
- Make the summer gnocchi sauce: While the gnocchi is resting, add the extra virgin olive oil, whole sage leaves, smashed garlic, and onion (sliced side facing down in contact with the pan) to a skillet set over medium-high heat. Season with a little salt and sauté until the garlic is blistered and fragrant and the sage leaves are crispy, but not burnt (about 2 to 3 minutes). Turn off the heat while you finish the gnocchi. *Add 1 to 2 tablespoons (15-30g of butter for an even richer flavor sauce if desired).
- Cut the gnocchi: Working with one log at a time, roll the logs into long ropes and cut them into gnocchi or gnocchetti using a floured bench scraper or knife. Roll each gnocchi over a gnocchi board, cheese grater, or the tines of a fork while applying gentle pressure to make indentions in the dough. Place the gnocchi onto a lightly floured parchment-lined baking pan leaving space in between them and repeat with the remaining dough. *Alternatively, you can simply cut the gnocchi and press an indention into them using your thumb if you don't want to make the 'rigate' or ridges.
- Cook the gnocchi: Cook the gnocchi in a large pot of boiling salted water or homemade broth just until they float to the top. Just before they're finished cooking, return the skillet to medium-high heat and add about a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of starchy pasta cooking water to the olive oil and aromatics. Remove the gnocchi using a spatula and add them directly to the skillet with the aromatics and olive oil, and toss everything to coat. Turn off the heat, sprinkle with the desired amount of Grana Padano, and add a little more pasta water if desired for a saucier consistency, but do not turn back on the heat. Serve immediately and Enjoy!
Notes
If you're not working on a non-stick baking mat, you may need to add a little flour as you begin to roll the dough into a log. Only add just enough to keep it from sticking to the surface.
Do not use bread flour to make gnocchi because it contains too much protein.
Do not make gnocchi in advance and refrigerate it. The dough is delicate and will start to dry out too much. Instead, to make gnocchi in advance, freeze it (see instructions and details below).
You may freeze raw gnocchi uncovered on the baking tray (leaving room in between them so they don't touch). Freeze for 30-45 minutes, or until frozen solid, then drop them into an airtight container or freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Cook directly from frozen (never thaw gnocchi first) in a pot of boiling salted water or broth (they'll take a few minutes longer to cook than fresh gnocchi).
Cook gnocchi in plenty of boiling water so they don't stick together as they cook. Gently stir them frequently, which also helps keep them from sticking together as they cook.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Rest Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 recipe
- Calories: 340
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 420mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 46g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 9g
- Cholesterol: 60mg
