How to make homemade gnocchi like a pro

Eating homemade potato gnocchi is like taking a bit out of a little cloud. Pillow-y, tender, yet hearty, this pasta picks up sauces and flavours like a pro, serving sophistication while cooking in half the time. Whether you’re pairing it with marinara or meat sauce, a creamy one-pan dish, or even a hearty soup, gnocchi recipes are easy impressive and delicious!

So if you’re looking for some Italian comfort food, give his homemade gnocchi recipe a try! We promise you’ll never go back to store-bought gnocchi again.

Serves -6

Ingredients

• 2 medium potatoes
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 large egg
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Pierce potatoes with a fork; place potatoes onto the prepared baking sheet. Place into oven and bake until tender, about 1 hour. Let cool completely.
3. Cut in half; scoop flesh into a medium bowl and mash.
4. Transfer 1 1/2 cups to a large bowl; stir in flour, ricotta, Parmesan, egg, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
5. Working on a lightly floured surface, divide dough into 6 equal pieces.
6. Roll each piece into an 18-inch long rope, about 1-inch in diameter, sprinkling with additional flour as needed to prevent sticking. Using a sharp knife, cut each rope into 3/4-inch bite-size pieces; transfer to baking sheet.
7. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; working in 3 batches, cook gnocchi until tender, stirring occasionally, about 4-6 minutes.
8. Drain well and transfer to clean rimmed baking sheet.

Ways to shape your gnocchi

Fork method – You can roll gnocchi over a fork (dip the fork in flour to prevent sticking). Push the piece of dough down and off the fork with your thumb. A fork gives them a more pronounced shape.

Gnocchi paddle is a special tool made for forming gnocchi. It forms gentle ridges as you push and roll the piece of dough down the paddle. You don’t need one to make gnocchi.

Finger indent method – you could simply poke each gnocchi in the centre with your fingertip and keep the shape very simple. This works great if you’re sauteeing since they lose their ridges anyways.

Gnocchi common questions

Note: To freeze, place uncooked gnocchi in a single layer on a heavily floured parchment-lined baking sheet, letting them air dry at room temperature for at least 1 hour before transferring to the freezer.