Recipe
Classic Homemade Gnocchi
Soft potato gnocchi made from scratch, with a tender centre and ridged edges that catch butter, pesto or a rich tomato sauce. A comforting Italian classic for a relaxed homemade dinner.
Ingredients
Method
30 mins prep10 mins cook40 mins total
Boil the potatoes in their skins until completely tender. Drain, peel while warm and mash until smooth, then leave the mash for a few minutes so excess steam escapes.
Tip the flour onto a work surface, add the warm potato, egg and salt, and bring everything together with your hands until a soft dough forms. Stop mixing as soon as it holds together.
Divide the dough into four pieces and roll each into a rope about 2 cm thick. Cut into bite-sized pieces and press each over the tines of a fork to make ridges.
Bring a large pan of salted water to a gentle boil. Cook the gnocchi in batches; they are ready when they rise to the surface. Lift them out with a slotted spoon.
Toss the cooked gnocchi with your chosen sauce and serve with the grated Parmesan.
Notes
Use floury potatoes and let them steam-dry after boiling so the dough stays light. Mix only until it comes together, and freeze shaped gnocchi in a single layer before bagging if you want to cook it later.
About this recipe
Classic potato gnocchi is a simple Italian dumpling made with fluffy potatoes, plain flour and egg. The dough comes together quickly, and the key to a light result is to work it only until it holds together rather than kneading it like bread.
Shape the dough into ropes, cut it into small pieces and press each one over a fork for ridges that hold onto sauce. Boil the gnocchi in batches until they rise, then toss with butter, pesto or tomato sauce and finish with Parmesan. It is a rewarding weekend project that freezes well for future meals.
