Homemade Potato Gnocchi Recipe (2024)

This Gnocchi recipe is a fun project, and the results are positively perfect! Soft pillowy potato pasta, this needs just a few ingredients you likely have on hand like potato, egg, and flour.

Simply make a dough, roll and boil!

Homemade Potato Gnocchi Recipe (1)

Potato gnocchi has just a few easy to find ingredients and, while it takes a bit of time, it’s not difficult to make. This particular gnocchi recipe is one I learned attending classes at our local culinary school and have made it ever since.

What Is Gnocchi?

Gnocchi is an Italian homemade pasta that resembles a little dumpling. At its most basic level, it’s made with potato, egg, and flour. Several regions in Italy have their own variations with combinations of ricotta cheese, herbs, or spinach, the possibilities are endless.

Homemade Potato Gnocchi Recipe (2)

Shaping Gnocchi

The dough is rolled into ropes and cut into pieces. Each rope of dough is about 1/2″ to 3/4″ thick and then cut into 1/2″ pieces. The gnocchi dough is soft and delicate, so be gentle when working with it.

Homemade Potato Gnocchi Recipe (3)

Once cut into pieces, roll each gnocchi along the back of a fork to create ridges (you can purchase a gnocchi board but unless you make gnocchi frequently, a fork works just fine).

The purpose of creating ridges is to help the gnocchi “grab” the sauce it is mixed with.

Homemade Potato Gnocchi Recipe (4)

How To Make Gnocchi

It’s really simple to make these pillowy little dumplings.

  1. Mix all the ingredients together except flour. Add flour a little at a time, until dough forms.
  2. After “resting” the dough, roll it out into long “ropes,” and cut per recipe instructions.
  3. Use a gnocchi board or even just a fork to create ridged pasta!

Tips for Perfection

  • Boil your potatoes but drain them very well. Baked potatoes work in this recipe too.
  • Leftover mashed potatoes aren’t ideal as they have other additives such as cream etc that will affect the consistency of your dough.
  • Ensure the potatoes are perfectly smooth once mashed
  • Add just enough flour to make a dough, excess flour can make tough gnocchi
  • Don’t overwork the dough, these should be soft and pillowy. Use a delicate touch.

Homemade Potato Gnocchi Recipe (5)

How To Cook Gnocchi

It takes just a few minutes to cook potato gnocchi!

  1. Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
  2. Gently add pasta and wait until it floats to the top (about 90 seconds).
  3. Transfer to a skillet with a bit of butter/olive oil and sauce if you’re using one. Toss the gnocchi and serve.

It’s that simple!

How To Serve It

It can be served as a soup, side dish, or as the first course in a full Italian-style meal! For a very special experience, gnocchi can be served as the primo, or first course, in a full Italian meal consisting of several courses.

Sauces for Gnocchi:

  • Serve it with butter, parmesan, and fresh herbs
  • A simple marinara sauce
  • Homemade pesto
  • Baked into a gnocchi casserole
  • Topped gnocchi with a creamy mushroom sauce

Of course, it’s always a treat to have homemade pasta as a side dish with chicken, beef, or fish!

More Perfect Pasta

  • Baked Gnocchi Casserole
  • Roasted Vegetable Lasagna
  • Caprese Pasta Salad
  • Pasta Primavera
  • Cheese Cannelloni

You can’t go wrong with homemade potato gnocchi! No matter how you choose to serve it up, there is one thing you can count on: you won’t have any leftovers!

Homemade Potato Gnocchi Recipe (6)

5 from 32 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
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Homemade Potato Gnocchi Recipe

This easy pasta recipe is made with just 4 simple ingredients!

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ReviewPrint

Homemade Potato Gnocchi Recipe (8)

Servings 4 servings

Homemade Potato Gnocchi Recipe (9)

Author Holly Nilsson

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ lbs potatoes cooked and riced
  • 2 tablespoons butter melted
  • 2 egg yolks
  • ¾- 1 cup flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Combine riced potatoes, butter, and eggs in a bowl. Slowly mix in ¾ cup flour and knead until dough forms adding additional flour as required until the dough holds together (it will still be slighlty sticky). You may not need all of the flour.

  • Dust counter with flour and roll out a ½" to ¾" thick rope of dough. Cut into ½" slices.

  • Gently roll gnocchi pieces on a gnocchi board or the back of a fork to create ridges.

  • Cook in boiling salted water, about 3 minutes, or until it begins to float.

  • Remove from boiling water and transfer to an ice bath for about 1 min.

  • Toss with oil and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

A potato ricer is a tool that will produce perfectly fluffy lump-free potatoes. If you don't have a ricer, be sure to mash your potatoes well so they are very smooth.

Recipe updated 3/8/2021

5 from 32 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 413 | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 209mg | Potassium: 779mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 306IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Homemade Potato Gnocchi Recipe (10) Course Main Course, Pasta

Homemade Potato Gnocchi Recipe (11) Cuisine Italian

© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.

Categories:

Meatless Main Dishes, Pasta and Pizza Recipes, Recipes

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Homemade Potato Gnocchi Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best flour for gnocchi? ›

You need to do plenty of that for homemade pizza dough, but you don't want to do much kneading at all when making gnocchi. Italian type 00 flours like Caputo and Anna brands produce a great result. Make sure you're buying 00 labeled for pasta and not labeled for pizza making.

How do you know when homemade gnocchi is done? ›

Place them in a large pot of well-salted boiling water. Cook gnocchi until they float to the top, about 2 to 4 minutes. Gently remove them with a slotted spoon and drain well.

Is gnocchi better with or without eggs? ›

Egg yolk added to your gnocchi dough helps improve texture, and keep it together while cooking. Gnocchi is traditionally made with eggs in Veneto and no eggs in Piedmont, the two Northern Italian regions famous for gnocchi. We vote for egg yolks at the rate of 1 per (500g) 1 lb of uncooked potatoes used.

Is it better to boil or bake potatoes for gnocchi? ›

The secret to the lightest, most tender potato gnocchi is to bake the potatoes instead of boiling them. A baked potato is dryer than one that has been boiled, which means you avoid having to add more flour to the dough to account for excess moisture, a practice that leads to over-kneaded, tough gnocchi.

Is plain flour or self raising flour better for gnocchi? ›

For potato gnocchi, mashing with a mouli or ricer ensures light, fluffy results, but an ordinary masher is fine. Don't overmix the dough and never use a processor or you will end up with a gluey mess. For guaranteed lightness in potato gnocchi, try replacing 25g of the plain flour with self-raising.

What are the best potatoes for gnocchi? ›

The Best Potatoes for Gnocchi

Step one: Start with Yukon Gold potatoes. Russets will do, but Yukon Golds have more of the nutty flavor of the yellow-fleshed boiling potatoes used by the Italian and Provençal cooks who have mastered gnocchi.

Why did my homemade gnocchi fall apart? ›

My Gnocchi Are Falling Apart When I Cook Them

This means there isn't enough flour and your dough is too wet. Try adding another 1/4 cup of flour and try again. A good idea is to have a pot of water on the go before you roll out and shape your gnocchi.

Why did my homemade gnocchi turned to mush? ›

Your gnocchi may be mushy because of any or all of the following reasons: boiled the potatoes instead of baked them. used waxy new potatoes with too much moisture in them. not used eggs to help texture.

Should gnocchi float when done? ›

How to prepare gnocchi. Poach gnocchi in batches in a pan of lightly salted water for 2-4 minutes. Cooked gnocchi will float to the top. Strain and serve immediately with a good pasta sauce.

Is it better to pan fry or boil gnocchi? ›

Perhaps I'm just a gnocchi snob, but the difference between boiled gnocchi and sautéed gnocchi is pretty amazing. Boiled gnocchi can be a bit stodgy, a bit slimy, a bit heavy… fried gnocchi is perfectly crispy and fluffy and light and toasty and all sorts of other lovely adjectives.

Why is my gnocchi falling apart when boiling? ›

Test the Gnocchi:

Right after making your dough, cut off a small, bite-size piece of gnocchi, roll it over a gnocchi board if you wish, and boil it until tender. If it stays together, it's good to go! If it disintegrates, you need more flour.

What is the difference between potato gnocchi and regular gnocchi? ›

Unlike potato gnocchi, Roman gnocchi (Gnocchi alla romana), are made with semolina instead of potatoes and flour, that's why they are also called Semolina gnocchi. Roman gnocchi are shaped differently than potato gnocchi.

Why use 00 flour for gnocchi? ›

What is the best flour for making gnocchi? I always suggest using 00 double zero flour. For most Italian dishes, this soft-wheat flour creates a delicate texture that's easy to bite through. Double zero is perfect for the light, pillowy texture you want for gnocchi.

Can you use all-purpose flour for gnocchi? ›

Flour – plain/all-purpose flour works best. We need just enough to ensure the gnocchi doesn't fall apart, but not so much that the gnocchi texture is 'gluey'. You might have to adjust the amount of flour, depending on how dry/moist your mashed potato is.

Is 00 pizza flour the same as 00 flour? ›

There are different types of 00 flour, depending on whether you want to use it for making pasta or pizza dough. The main difference between these flours is gluten content, as pasta-making requires a slightly lower gluten flour than pizza. They will usually be clearly labelled as '00 pasta flour' or '00 pizza flour'.

What is 00 flour in the USA? ›

So, what is 00 flour? 00 flour is the most finely sifted type of Italian flour, made only from the endosperm. A wheat kernel is made up of three key components – the germ, the bran, and the endosperm.

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