How to Make Potato Gnocchi

Prep: 60 mins

Cook: 5 mins

Total: 65 mins

Servings: 4 servings

Gnocchi are doughy, pillow-like dumplings that are treated much like pasta; they are boiled and then served with a sauce of your choice. Gnocchi is typically made with potatoes and flour, and can easily be made gluten-free when using gluten-free all-purpose flour. This recipe for gnocchi doesn’t use egg, which means that it’s safe for a vegan diet.

Serve the gnocchi with butter and Parmesan cheese, or a tomato sauce of your choice, keeping in mind that they are particularly good with rich and creamy or meaty sauces. Simply dressed with olive oil, sage, and good sea salt makes for a delicate but comforting meal.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds boiling potatoes (Yukon golds or red-skinned new potatoes)

• Kosher salt, to taste

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling the dough

• Unsalted butter, pesto, or tomato sauce, optional, for serving

Steps to Make It

1. Gather the ingredients.

   

2. Scrub the potatoes clean and put them in a large pot (do not peel the potatoes). Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Add enough salt to make the water taste salty. Cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender all the way through, about 20 minutes.

   

3. Drain the potatoes and let them cool slightly. Push the cooked potatoes through a ricer or food mill into a large bowl. Alternatively, use a paring knife to scrape off and discard the skins and then thoroughly mash the potatoes with a large fork or potato masher.

   

4. Stir in the flour while the potatoes are still warm. It will seem like the dough won't combine at first, but keep working it; it will eventually become a smooth, playdough-like dough.

   

5. Divide the dough into 4 parts and work with 1 section at a time, covering the other sections with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out. Roll a section of dough into a long, 1-inch-thick snake on a well-floured surface. Cut this thin log into bite-sized (1/2- to 3/4-inch) pieces.

   

6. Take each dumpling and use your thumb to roll it down the tines of a fork, letting it drop onto a floured surface. The dumpling will have tine marks on one side and a thumbprint on the other. It will take a few gnocchi to get the technique but then it will be quite easy. Arrange the gnocchi on a very well-floured baking sheet or tray. Repeat with the remaining dough.

   

7. Gnocchi can sit, loosely covered, at room temperature for several hours. Or, loosely cover and refrigerate overnight.

8. When ready to cook the dumplings, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add only as many gnocchi as can comfortably cover the surface of the water in a single layer. They will sink immediately. Give them a quick but thorough stir. Within 1 minute they will float to the surface; let them cook 10 to 20 seconds on the surface and then remove them with a slotted spoon to a warm serving platter. Repeat with the remaining gnocchi.

   

9. Toss the cooked gnocchi with butter, pesto, tomato sauce, or the topping of your choice and serve immediately. Enjoy.

   

Tips

• To avoid chewy gnocchi, make sure not to add more flour than is needed to create the dough. Also, knead the dough just until it is soft and pliable; over-kneading will cause the gnocchi to be tough.
• For longer storage, place the gnocchi in one layer (not touching each other) on a baking tray and freeze them overnight. Once they are frozen, transfer the gnocchi to a resealable plastic bag and keep them frozen until ready to boil. They will last for up to six months.