Homemade Italian Potato Gnocchi

This potato gnocchi is easier to make than you think!

Potato gnocchi is best if it’s homemade! It might sound like a tricky thing to make, but it’s actually super easy! All you need is one or two tools that will make it a breeze. And, you won’t regret the homemade taste.

Professor at Brigham Young University, Marie Orton, shares how she taught this potato gnocchi recipe to her Italian language students during the pandemic. She shares the simple method, and how to get the classic gnocchi look.

Grab a potato ricer here and get cooking!

Potato Gnocchi

Yield: about 90 potato gnocchi (serves 4)

Ingredients

• 4 medium Yukon gold potatoes (about 2 – 2 1/4 lbs.)
• 1 whole egg (or 2 egg whites)
• About 1 ½ c. white flour
• Salt
• A 4 qt. pot of boiling salt water

Directions

1. Cook the potatoes in the microwave until soft then wrap them in foil.
2. Bring 4 qt. of water to a boil. Add 1 t. salt to the water.  Turn down the heat.
3. Spread about 1 ¼ c. of the flour on the counter.
4. Peel the potatoes.
5. Squeeze them through a potato ricer directly on to the flour. (If the ricer has different sized disks, use the disk with the smallest holes).
6. Toss the potatoes with the flour until they are covered. Sprinkle lightly with salt.  You want a proportion of about 1 part flour to 3 parts potato.
7. Gently form the potato into a mound, make a hole in the center, crack the egg into the whole (or pour in the egg whites).
8. With a fork, stir the egg and gently incorporate the potato/flour into a soft dough. Shape into a ball. Work the dough as little as possible.
9. Break the dough into 4 equal pieces.
10. Shape each piece into a rope about ¾ inch.
11. With the side of a fort, cut the rope into pieces about the size of a pecan.
12. Gently roll each piece into a ball. Roll them very little, 3 rotations max. You will need to dust your hands with flour about every 5-6 balls.
13. To shape the gnocchi, place a ball on a fork. With the side of your thumb, gently press the gnocchi against the tines of the fork and roll it off the fork. Let it fall on the counter.  It should have a dent in the back and the marks of the fork tines across the front.
14. Once you have formed all the gnocchi, bring your pot of water back to a gentle boil.
15. Drop the gnocchi one by one into the boiling water. Do not be tempted to grab a handful of gnocchi at once. They are very soft and will mush together.  Only add enough gnocchi at a time to cover the bottom of the pot.
16. When the gnocchi are cooked, they will float to the top. Skim them off with a pasta strainer, dry them gently on a towel, place them on a lightly buttered cookie sheet and keep them warm in an over at about 300 degrees.
17. Serve with pesto or a tomato sauce with melted butter with rosemary. Top with grated parmiggiano.

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