How to Make Gnocchi like an Italian Grandmother
The gnocchi recipe taught to me by my friend Francesca's mother. A platter of petite, potato pillows coated with glistening flecks of basil pesto.
This gnocchi recipe was taught to me when a friend came to visit from Genoa, Italy. Her mother came with her, and one night, alongside a small mountain of beautiful, fragrant basil, she taught us her homemade gnocchi recipe. I posted about the pesto we made to go with it in a separate post, and as promised the gnocchi as a followup. You ready!?
Gnocchi takes Patience
Gnocchi recipes aren't for the faint of heart. Many, many things can go awry. I'm not trying to scare you off or dissuade you, I just want you to know what you are in for. Gnocchi-making takes practice, patience, and persistence. At their best, potato gnocchi can be light and delicate. At their worst, dense, rubbery, and/or soggy potato dumplings. The very worst are the gnocchi that come apart in the boiling water before they even reach your plate. You've got this!
The Simplest Ingredients
The platter of petite, potato pillows coated with glistening flecks of basil pesto that Francesca's mother made us that night was beautiful. The gnocchi recipe she taught us had just three ingredients - boiled, starchy russet potatoes combined with a minimal amount of flour (too much flour and your gnocchi are going to be heavy), and a bit of salt - no eggs. I've tweaked her version to be a little more user-friendly here, because to be honest, eggless gnocchi are very tricky to get the hang of. They're very delicate to handle. I'm afraid if I post the eggless version here, there will be a number of you who will try it, get frustrated, and curse me. So, a bit of egg it is.
This Gnocchi Recipe: The Details
In the version here, I incorporate just enough egg to act as a bit of a binder for the gnocchi. We still aren't using an excessive amount of flour, and the resulting gnocchi are deliciously light. They can also stand up to a toss with your favorite sauce. You can see them pictured at the top of this post, tossed with this favorite pesto.
Gnocchi with Egg, or No?
If you are committed to trying an eggless version, try this version first. After that, perhaps the next time around, use half the egg or an egg yolk, and the time after that go for no egg. By that time, you should have all the other steps figured out and you'll have a better vantage point and level of experience from which to work You'll also have a better sense of how to handle and work with the dough.
Can You Freeze Gnocchi?
Yes! You can freeze gnocchi. After shaping them, prior to the cooking step, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place in the freezer. Once the gnocchi are frozen, transfer to a bag or container for a future meal. Drop directly into boiling salted water and proceed with the recipe.
So, here it is - the long awaited gnocchi recipe. Give it a go, and let me know what you think. If you know how to make pesto, this is the time to do it! A simple toss is perfect. And if you haven't tried making your own homemade pasta, pappardelle or cavatelli - one of those should be next on your list! You can also find the complete list of pasta recipes here.
Other Flavors that are Great with Gnocchi
One last thing, if pesto isn't your thing, gnocchi is wonderful with a wide range of other ingredients. I love them with a simple red tomato sauce. They're also great boiled, and then finished in a hot pan with browned butter and crispy fried sage leaves. You can also take more of a cacio e pepe approach with butter, grated cheese and plenty of black pepper. Remember that these gnocchi are potato-based and have fun with a range of pairings!
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Gnocchi Recipe
Francesca's mom seemed disappointed we didn't have a potato ricer or potato mill on hand, but said that mashing the potatoes by hand would be fine. I've done it many times by hand now, and it is fine. If you have a ricer use it. For those of you wanting to do some of the preparation in advance, in one test I cooked and mashed a batch of potatoes a day ahead of time, put them in a covered bowl overnight, and incorporated the egg and flour the next day when I was ready to cook the gnocchi - no problems.
- Scant 2 pounds of starchy potatoes, 2 large russets
- 1/4 cup egg, lightly beaten
- scant 1 cup of unbleached all-purpose flour
- fine grain sea salt
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Fill a large pot with cold water. Salt the water, then cut potatoes in half and place them in the pot. Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes until tender throughout, this takes roughly 40-50 minutes.
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Remove the potatoes from the water one at a time with a slotted spoon. Drain any excess water. Place each potato piece on a large cutting board and peel it before moving on to the next potato. Save the potato water. Also, peel each potato as soon as possible after removing from the water (without burning yourself) - I've found a paring knife comes in handy here. Be mindful that you want to work relatively quickly so you can mash the potatoes when they are hot. To do this you can either push the potatoes through a ricer, or do what I do, deconstruct them one at a time on the cutting board using the tines of a fork - mash isn't quite the right term here. I run the fork down the sides of the peeled potato creating a nice, fluffy potato base to work with (see photo). Don't over-mash - you are simply after an even texture with no noticeable lumps.
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Let the potatoes cool spread out across your work surface for ten or fifteen minutes. Long enough that the egg won't cook when it is incorporated into the potatoes.
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When you're ready, pull the potatoes into a soft mound. Drizzle with the beaten egg and sprinkle 3/4 cup of the flour across the top. I've found that a metal spatula or large pastry scraper are both great utensils to use to incorporate the flour and eggs into the potatoes with the egg incorporated throughout - you can see the hint of yellow from the yolk. Scrape underneath and fold, scrape and fold until the mixture is a light crumble. Very gently, with a feathery touch knead the dough. This is also the point you can add more flour (a sprinkle at a time) if the dough is too tacky. I usually end up using most of the remaining 1/4 cup flour, but it all depends on the potatoes, the flour, the time of year, the weather, and whether the gnocchi gods are smiling on you. The dough should be moist but not sticky. It should feel almost billowy.
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Cut it into 8 pieces. Now gently roll each 1/8th of dough into a snake-shaped log, roughly the thickness of your thumb. Use a knife to cut pieces every 3/4-inch (see photo). Dust with a bit more flour.
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To shape the gnocchi hold a fork in one hand (see photo) and place a gnocchi pillow against the tines of the fork (or gnocchi board), cut ends out. With confidence and an assertive (but very light) touch, use your thumb and press in and down the length of the fork. The gnocchi should curl into a slight "C" shape, their backs will capture the impression of the tines as tiny ridges (good for catching sauce later). Set each gnocchi aside, dust with a bit more flour if needed, until you are ready to boil them. This step takes some practice, don't get discouraged, once you get the hang of it it's easy.
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Now that you're on the final stretch, either reheat your potato water or start with a fresh pot (salted), and bring to a boil. Cook the gnocchi in batches by dropping them into the boiling water roughly twenty at a time. They will let you know when they are cooked because they will pop back up to the top. Fish them out of the water a few at a time with a slotted spoon ten seconds or so after they've surfaced. Have a large platter ready with a generous swirl of whatever sauce or favorite pesto you'll be serving on the gnocchi. Place the gnocchi on the platter. Continue cooking in batches until all the gnocchi are done. Gently toss with more sauce or pesto. Don't overdo it, it should be a light coverage. Serve immediately, family-style with a drizzle of good olive oil on top.
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Comments
The recipe looks really good. Like many others I have been waiting for it since the pesto recipe. I would comment though that not cutting the potato before boiling will keep the gnocchi drier and also after ricing I recommend letting the potatoes cool so more steam (moisture can evaporate). But I will try this recipe this week - maybe the pesto too.
Mmmm... I'd completely given up on homemade gnocchi, actually, after several starchy rubbery messes. I will definitely give this recipe a shot. I recently spent three weeks in Italy and tried gnocchi at least a half dozen times - all of the dishes appeared to be boxed or premade (very disappointing), until I found one restaurant that served the lightest, what-I-now-realize-was eggless pillows topped with an asparagus puree (no cream). It was divine. I'm sure this recipe works fabulously - but I am wondering if the Italian Grandmother commented on this: doesn't cutting the potatoes in half before boiling introduce more water? I've even heard such tricks as baking the potatoes instead of boiling Thanks for the great recipes and congrats on all of your successes!
This is one of my favorite things, but my husband and I have had too many bad batches, so we shelved this one for a while. I think it's time to take it back out and try again. A potato ricer and a gnocchi board definitely make the work easier, but the Italian grandmother, well, I've been threatening to put up an ad on craigslist to find one of those to help me work on this one.
I never use potatoes for my gnocchis, only the following: 1 cup of flour 1 cup parmesan cheese 1 pint ricotta cheese 1 egg salt an peper Easy to make and they always turn perfect Thanks for the pesto recipe
Kim, potatoes are very easy to peel after they're boiled. Also, try making potato salad by first boiling whole potatoes, unpeeled. and peeling and slicing them after they're cooked. delicious! it gives them a different flavour. it's very tasty, too! in croatia, we normally cook them like that, and serve them with sliced red onion and a simple vinaigrette of red wine vinegar and olive oil. It's excellent hot or cold, and the flavour improves with time! try this for a low fat alternative to usual potato salad with mayonnaise. let me know how you like it.
lovely! my mum always makes her own gnochi, too.
yum! i've wanted to make gnocchi for so long - they are one of my favourite things to eat. maybe i'll go pick up some potatoes tomorrow and try it out.
Despite my youth, I often play the role of Italian grandmother as I am still being trained. I've made gnocchi many times and I love the variations. Some good spinach gnocchi with a lighter tomato sauce or even pesto or a lemon butter are fabulous. The egg does tend to make it denser than I love, but we do use ricotta sometimes to lighten it up. I think this would actually work fine with non-wheat flours. Give it a whirl. They;re really not all that time-consuming. Buona fortuna!
In some parts of Italy (north) we don't use eggs. We add a little more flour. The gnocchi will be more light and will cook quickly. In south Italy sometimes they add some fresh ricotta to the mixture. As always the quantity is up to the woman that makes the recipe :) but - from the pictures - the mixture seems too firm imho. Great blog, Heidi, thanks for you recipes!
Oooh, this looks delicious. I'd just like to ask - I'm gluten-free, and was wondering if you've any advice regarding using non-wheat flours in this. I guess if the flour's doing a binding rather than a thickening job, non-gluten flours wouldn't really work... Any thoughts?
When I lived in Italy, the best part of eating out at le trattorie was getting to have gnocchi. At our favorite trattoria, the wife of the proprietor made the best gnocchi, and since I've been in America again for over a year, I haven't found a suitable replacement. I am looking forward to trying this recipe so I can feel like I am "home" in our small town again :-)
When I lived in Italy, the best part of eating out at le trattorie was getting to have gnocchi. At our favorite trattoria, the wife of the proprietor made the best gnocchi, and since I've been in America again for over a year, I haven't found a suitable replacement. I am looking forward to trying this recipe so I can feel like I am "home" in our small town again :-)
I don't know why I've been so terrified of making gnocchi....one day last week, I spent 15 minutes working on my bravery and kitchen super-hero powers to try the recipe. So I stomped in the kitchen, fiercly determined to make gnocchi and ....blah....only had 3 potatoes, all of them growing roots. But I did have ricotta, so I forged ahead. I can't believe I've been so chicken s**t all this time!! It came out amazingly perfect. Will try the potato version after I go to the store.
i'm in genova right now! i'm visiting friends, and we're supposed to have a dinner on thursday... perhaps i'll work up my courage enough to try this AND the pesto. i've already made the pesto once before, and it was amazing, so this is the last thing i need to convince people that some americans do, in fact, know how to cook!
I just drooled. That is SUCH a good sign.
Gnocchi are a holiday tradition for my in-laws and I've been fortunate to learn the technique from my grandmother-in-law. It seems that eggless gnocchi or at least "light & delicate" gnocchi are the gold standard for many. But the gnocchi I have come to love are delightfully al dente, dense yet tender, rich with eggs AND butter. I'm wondering if others will admit to this more substantial gnocchi tradition.
I'm committing to at least three tries. A mere potato shall not get the better of me. I hope others will post their results.
I have no less than 3 gnocchi recipes clipped (make that 4 now!) but I'm so intimidated to try it and fail - after ALL that work it be inedible - that I haven't tried a single one. Sigh. Daunting.
bloody beautiful
I have heard of using the large holes of a box grater to deconstruct the cooked potato. I haven't personally tried it though.