• 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.
• Here are 5 easy ways to reheat leftover gnocchi:
  • Emergency: Place it in a microwave-safe bowl and cook it for 30 seconds to 45 seconds, or until heated through (method not recommended, but sometimes you need gnocchi fast:).
  • Skillet: Place gnocchi (with or without sauce) in a skillet with a little EVOO and toss cooking over medium-high heat for about 4 to 6 minutes.
  • Boiling water or broth: This is the most common method for reheating gnocchi that doesn't have a sauce. It's easy and warms cold gnocchi beautifully. Just be sure to only leave the gnocchi in the water for a couple of minutes until warmed through so you don't overcook them.
  • Oven Broiler Place the gnocchi in a cast iron skillet or other broiler-safe dish and heat the gnocchi with a little olive oil or sauce under a preheated broiler for about 3 to 5 minutes, or until warmed through.
  • Regular Oven: Place gnocchi in a baking dish with sauce covered loosely with foil and add it to a preheated 375°F/190°C for about 6 to 8 minutes.

Gnocchi Pro Tips: 7 Best Italian Tips for Making the Best Gnocchi

1. Use gram measurements because it's more consistent and precise than using measuring cups.
2. Use old dirty white or yellow potatoes which have less water and more concentrated starch.
3. Always boil or steam potatoes with the skins on.
4. If baking potatoes instead of boiling or steaming them, bake them directly on the oven rack, or on a baking sheet with salt underneath them, or on a wrack set inside a baking sheet to allow air to circulate. These are all great ways to allow airflow under the potatoes as they cook which helps avoid having hardened, unusable potato flesh from otherwise having direct contact with the pan.
5. Do not mash potatoes which can start to overwork the potatoes even before you've added the flour. Doing so can cause the gnocchi to become gummy and dense. Also, using a potato masher can also leave bits of the whole potato in the dough which you never want.
6. Add the least amount of flour you can while still getting the gnocchi dough to bind together. Basically, don't incorporate a lot of extra flour when you're working with the dough to form it or gnocchi will be dense.
7. Allow the riced potatoes to sit for 1 to 2 minutes to allow some of the steam to dissipate before incorporating them into the flour. Less steam means less moisture in the dough which in turn means you shouldn't have to add any (or much at all) extra flour.
8. When using eggs or egg yolk (as is the case with this recipe) it's ok to see streaks of the yolk in the final dough. You never want to fully work the egg or egg yolk into the dough so much that the dough becomes one homogenous even color. This would indicate you've overworked the dough to achieve uniformity. It's ok to see some streaks (*as seen in the photos above).

Our favorite potatoes for making gnocchi: 

Our personal favorite potato variety for making gnocchi is what's most often used here in Northern Italy which are old dirty yellow potatoes (old Yukon Gold potatoes work well here). They are neither too waxy, nor too starchy. Instead, they're semi-waxy (creamier) with better flavor than russets, but still have a good amount of starch in them. I buy them and allow them to rest in the cupboard for a week or two (or even longer) before using them to further reduce the water content and increase the starch content.

• Other potato varieties that make great gnocchi include:  
  • Russet potatoes (also known as baker, Burbank, and Idaho potatoes): high in starch, low in water, fluffy and dry after cooking
  • Majestic potatoes: slightly waxy and excellent flavor and holds up well to boiling
  • Kennebec potatoes: starchy with higher sugar content, dense, and firm becoming tender, and fluffy when cooked.
  • Red potatoes (aka red bless, red cardinal, redskin potatoes): waxy, hold their shape and remain firm even after cooking
  • Purple potatoes: starchy and turn a mostly grey color when cooked so it's advisable to add some purple carrots to the gnocchi dough to help keep the purple color vibrant
  • Sweet potatoes (actually a root vegetable and not a tuber): flesh remains compact and creamy when cooked (perfect for sweet or savory gnocchi)
  • Tonda di Napoli (round pumpkin from Naples): it maintains a compact and sweet flesh when cooked making a perfect pumpkin gnocchi