Fresh Gnocchi

Serves 4

Prep time: 90 Minutes
Cook time: 0 Minute

Special Equipment

potato ricer
gnocchi board, fork, or grater
kitchen scale

Ingredients

4 Russet potatoes*
1½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted, plus a little extra for sprinkling
2 egg yolks
A pinch of salt
 
*Russet potatoes are drier and mealier in texture, while other varieties like Yukon or say, a Sweet potato, are very dense and wet, making it harder to achieve that light and fluffy texture.

Method

Place the potatoes, whole and unpeeled, in a large pot of water. Boil them for about 30 minutes, or just until soft enough to prick with a fork.

Note: You can also steam your potatoes, which will reduce the amount of water they absorb in the cooking process. This helps give your gnocchi a light and airy texture.

After the potatoes have cooled enough to touch, begin peeling them. Press each one through the potato ricer, letting the riced potatoes fall into a medium-sized bowl. If you don’t have a potato ricer, you can also use a fine-grater attachment on a food processor for the same effect (just be careful that you’re using the attachment and not the blade used for blending).

Let the riced potatoes dry out for 30 minutes to an hour.

Add the egg yolk into the potato mixture and gently mix with a fork. Avoid mashing the potatoes.

Prepare a large, clean surface, preferably a wooden pastry board, by sprinkling a bit of flour on top. Pour the potato-egg mixture onto the floured surface. Sprinkle in half of the flour and gently fold it in. Imagine you are folding a blanket or a towel. Fold over one side, press down gently, then turn the dough 90 degrees and fold again. Add more flour, about 1/4 cup at a time, and continue folding the dough until it forms one cohesive mass and no longer sticks to your hands. It should be smooth, soft, and supple.

It’s important to not over-knead the dough. Just knead until the flour is fully incorporated and you have a soft, pillowy mass of dough.

Pinch off an egg-size piece of dough. Using the palm of your hands, roll it out into a rope, about ¾ inch round in diameter.

Using a knife or a pastry scraper, cut the rope into small cubes, about ¾ inch in size all the way around.

You could stop here, but if you want to make little grooves or textured gnocchi (which I highly recommend because it helps capture the sauce!), you roll the gnocchi over the back of a fork, cheese grater, or gnocchi board.

Simply use your index finger to roll one side of the gnocchi over your preferred texture tool. One side of the gnocchi will have an indent from your finger while the other will have little grooves from the fork, grater, or gnocchi board.

Place each gnocchi on a floured tray and cover with a kitchen towel. They can sit out for about 2-3 hours.

You can cook them right away or save them for later.

If you cook them immediately:

Bring a large pot of cold water to a boil. Add plenty of salt. Gently place the gnocchi in the water and cook until al dente, about 3-4 minutes. The gnocchi will rise to the surface when they are done. Use a slotted spoon to remove them, and add them directly to your sauce.

If you want to save them for later:

Gnocchi will keep in the fridge for 1-2 days. Spread them out on a baking sheet with plenty of flour and cover in plastic wrap before placing in the fridge.

Freezer:

Gnocchi will keep well in the freezer. Place them on a cookie sheet with parchment paper and put the whole sheet into the freezer, uncovered. Once they are firm (about 20 minutes), you can transfer them to a plastic bag. To cook, simply add the frozen gnocchi (don’t thaw them) to a pot of boiling salted water and cook until they rise to the surface.

Buon appetito!