Gnocchi
Fluffy Gnocchi
People always ask me what’s my favorite pasta to make, and while it’s hard for me to choose just one I’d have to say gnocchi has to be one of my top favorites. I can’t recall the first time I tasted gnocchi, but since I first laid eyes on it as a child was completely fascinated as to how some potato and flour make these pillowy pieces of heaven. As an adult I’ve had my fair share of gnocchi and was very focused on finding a way to learn how to make them as I pursued my fresh pasta making curiosity. On one of my vacations before I moved to Florence I took a three day fresh pasta class at Vecchia Scuola Bolognese in Bologna, and before I finalized the booking made sure that gnocchi would be on the curriculum. They are hands down one of the best places to learn about fresh pasta by matarello or rolling pin if you have time to stay more than a day. It’s a dying craft that I think needs to preserved, and if only being there was enough for me the highlight was the last day of class when I learned how to make gnocchi. I learned to make them with a recipe for portions of 10, and would freeze most of it since it was way too much for me to eat. I’ve since made it countless times and developed my own tweaks to result in these ethereal, heavenly dumplings that pair well with almost any sauce. I’ll share my process below
Gnocchi
Serves 4
Ingredients:
400 grams (Just under 1 lb) starchy potatoes (i.e. Russet or Idaho)
60 grams (1/4 cup) of Potato starch, and more if needed *optional see note
50 to 100 grams (1/2 a cup to 3/4 cup ) of 00 or plain flour (more as needed)
1 egg that is beaten
pinch of salt
The Best Potatoes for Gnocchi:
The best potatoes for making gnocchi are starchy potatoes like Idaho or Russet, they have a white interior vs potatoes like Yukon Gold which are lower in starch and are golden. In Italy we eat very seasonally and for a few months of the year I only have golden potatoes like Yukon’s available to me. I’ve learned to work with them by adding potato starch to the dough when working with the Yukon equivalent, as well as 00 flour. If this is what you have available use the potato starch, if you have Idaho’s or Russet’s adding potato starch isn’t necessary
Method:
Potatoes are boiled whole with skin on or roasted. It’s hard to estimate the time it takes to cook the potatoes as it varies based on the size of the potato. Check that they are cooked by piercing with a knife and if it goes straight through without resistance they are done. It’s important to cook them with the skin on them as this acts as a barrier with the water and allows you to control the moisture in the dough.
Ricing Potatoes to Make Gnocchi
Once the potatoes are cooked, cut them in half and place them in a potato ricer. Press them through on your work surface where you’ve already laid down half the flour. Press all the potatoes across the mound of flour.
Allow them to cool before moving on to the next step.
You’ll now work in layers and sprinkle a pinch of salt, sprinkle the potato starch across the mound, and lastly you’ll form a well in the center like a little volcano and you add about half of the egg that has been beaten. Half the beaten egg is enough for this amount of potato, more than that would make the dough too wet.
Combine the dough with a flexible bench scraper or with your hands until the dough comes together and forms a soft but not sticky dough.
We don’t have to rest this dough and can begin shaping immediately. Flour your work area lightly and take about a quarter of the dough which you will roll under your two hands into a cylinder about 1.5 cm in diameter (this measurement is my preference, but feel free to roll to your desired diameter provided that you consistently make them all the same size) Cut the cylinders into pieces about 2.5 cm wide, and sprinkle with flour.
Featured Product:
Gnocchi Dough and Gnocchi Pillows
You can cook the gnocchi as is in the pillowy shape, but I like to take the last step of shaping them with a gnocchi board. Alternatively, you can also use the back of the fork like nonnas do. This provides additional surface area and crevices for the sauce. Take the piece of gnocchi, cut side down, and gently press and roll down in a quick movement.
It’s important to lay them out in an even layer without overlapping so that they don’t stick to each other. Sprinkle more flour if needed, and from this point you try not to handle them with your hands. I transport them by lifting several at a time with a bench scraper to my drying rack and from the drying rack to the pot of salted boiling water. If you don’t have a drying rack you can simply use a baking tray or long dish that has been floured to lay them out. If you make large batches you can freeze them in one even layer, and once each individual piece is frozen through you can store them in a freezer bag or container. Whether fresh or frozen you drop them directly into boiling water. They cook in just a few minutes and float to the top on their own when they’re done. Drain and serve with your favorite pasta sauce.
Gnocchi al Pomodoro
Tips:
Potato starch content varies, and ideally you’d want use potato with white pulp which indicates a high starch content such as a russet or idaho. I’ve been using yellow potatoes similar to a yukon gold because it’s what I have available to me at the local farmer’s market. You can compensate for the lower starch of yellow potatoes by additional potato starch to give the gnocchi structure
Cooking with the skin on acts as a barrier to the water while cooking because you want to manage how much moisture you add to the dough. This also makes it easier to peel after when running it through the ricer.
Important to not overlap the gnocchi as they will stick to each other.
These can be made ahead and frozen. If frozen, they do not not to be defrosted you can drop directly in boiling water. If you opt to freeze them lay them out in one flat layer to individually freeze each gnocchi before combining the in a bag or container.
Fresh pasta including gnocchi dough is dependent on weather, starch content, temperature of hands etc. My gnocchi tend to be on the lighter fluffier side which is why I wouldn’t advise being exact with measurement of the flour and starch each time. It’s better to practice and go by feeling to not end up with dense heavy gnocchi. I tend to use more starch then flour. The only thing I measure are the potatoes and make about 100 grams per person. Fresh pasta is all about cooking by feeling, and this is a perfect example since the flour is added gradually until the dough just comes together and is no longer sticky. Practice makes imperfectly perfect.
