Potato gnocchi

Name: Potato gnocchi
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Red potatoes 2.2 lbs; Type 00 flour 2 ¼ cups; Eggs medium size 1; Fine salt to taste; Remilled durum wheat semolina to taste; Red potatoes 2; Type 00 flour 3 cups; Fine salt ¾ tbsp; Remilled durum wheat semolina to taste

it es br de fr

Lactose Free
Vegetarian

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Serving: 4
Cost: Very low

PRESENTATION

Light, pillowy shape and that classic soft bite help homemade potato gnocchi stand out as a true family comfort food, loved by anyone craving a bit of old-school Italian pasta on the table. Everything about these little dumplings—from their inviting look to that melt-in-your-mouth tenderness—calls for gathering around with people you care about. The way Yukon Gold potatoes make them taste a little more rich and fluffy means each bite is extra SATISFYING—good for busy weeknights, special occasions, or just a simple meal where really good food takes the spotlight. Families tend to keep this one in regular rotation because you get that classic flavor with basic ingredients, plus the way a big bowl of fresh gnocchi covered in tomato sauce for gnocchi brings everyone running to the kitchen just feels homey. That nice bite, cozy scent, and warm appeal—kids and grown-ups both usually go back for seconds (sometimes thirds...trust me, it happens).

Home cooks keep coming back to these easy gnocchi recipes since they just fit with so many dinner ideas—works great tossed with pesto, paired with a simple butter sauce, or served alongside the latest seasonal veggies. One thing about gnocchi: the dish feels EXTRA special even when your day is busy, making it a top pick for families short on time but still wanting homemade Italian pasta. Having a solid gnocchi dough means dinner is always a win, and the versatile nature makes them work for hearty meals or lighter plates—sometimes with a classic tomato sauce for gnocchi, sometimes with just olive oil, maybe a sprinkle of cheese...all sorts of good ways! Kids like the texture, parents like how it looks and tastes, and everyone enjoys how filling it is without being heavy. Since homemade potato gnocchi is both traditional and quick to dress up, it definitely gives a nice boost to any family-style dinner—friendly, DELICIOUS, and always welcome around the dinner table.

INGREDIENTS

Red potatoes 2.2 lbs (1 kg)

Type 00 flour 2 ¼ cups (300 g)

Eggs 1 - medium size

Fine salt to taste

Remilled durum wheat semolina to taste

For the egg-free version: Red potatoes 2 (1 kg); Type 00 flour 3 cups (350 g); Fine salt ¾ tbsp (15 g); Remilled durum wheat semolina to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Potato gnocchi

To prepare potato gnocchi, start by boiling the potatoes. Arrange the potatoes in a large pot and cover with plenty of cold water 1. From the moment the water starts boiling, count about 30-40 minutes, depending on their size. Try the fork test and if the tines enter without difficulty then you can drain the potatoes. While still hot, mash the potatoes on the flour that you have sifted on the pastry board in a fountain shape 2; there will be no need to peel the potatoes because the peel will remain inside the potato masher. Then add the lightly beaten egg together with a pinch of salt 3.

Mix everything with your hands 4 until you get a soft but compact dough 5. Remember that if you knead it too much, the gnocchi will become hard during cooking, so just knead the time necessary. Take a part of the dough and roll it out with your fingertips to get 0.8 inches (2 cm) thick loaves 6; to do this, help yourself by sprinkling some semolina flour on the work surface from time to time. Meanwhile, cover the remaining dough with a towel to prevent it from drying out.

Cut the loaves into chunks 7 and, by pressing lightly with your thumb, drag them onto the rigagnocchi board to obtain the classic shape 8. If you don't have the one, you can use a fork and drag them on the tines. Use semolina flour to prevent them from sticking together. As you prepare the potato gnocchi, arrange them on a tray with a lightly floured cloth, well spaced from each other 9. If you intend to cook them, you can pour them a few at a time into boiling salted water; as soon as they come to the surface, the gnocchi are cooked and ready to be drained and seasoned.

FOR THE EGG-FREE VERSION

Mash the potatoes on a work surface while still hot, with the help of a potato masher, add the flour and salt 1 and knead with your hands 2 to obtain a soft but compact dough 3.

Take one portion of the dough at a time and roll it out with your fingertips to form loaves of 0.8 inches (2 cm) thickness 4. Cut the loaves into chunks 5 and pass each piece of dough on a rigagnocchi board or on the tines of a fork, pressing lightly with your thumb 6. Cook the egg-free gnocchi in plenty of boiling salted water and drain as soon as they come to the surface.

Storage

You can keep the raw potato gnocchi on a cloth for a couple of hours at the most. In this case you will need to cook them slightly longer because they will have dried a bit more.

You can also freeze them, in this case put the tray in the freezer and after about 20 minutes put the potato gnocchi in a food bag, and put back in the freezer. To cook them, simply throw them in boiling salted water without defrosting them first.

Tips

Color, color, color ... if you want to make your potato gnocchi more special, use coloring ingredients such as turmeric for a yellowish color or a touch of tomato paste. If you prefer a more noir style: gnocchi with cuttlefish ink!

What is the secret for perfect gnocchi? It is all about the potatoes! The red ones are perfect but the mountain ones or the aged ones will also be fine ... the important thing is that they are not new potatoes because they contain too much water. In short, the ideal potatoes are rich in starch and low in water so they need less flour to be mixed with.

If you don't have a potato masher you can peel the potatoes and mash them with a fork!

Interesting fact

Gnocchi is perhaps the first homemade type of pasta. They were described as we know them (meaning with potatoes), only from the second half of the 1700s, as they were originally prepared only with water and flour, and were torn by hand and then cooked.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.