How to make Gnocchi like a Nonna

Potato Gnocchi Recipe

Potato Gnocchi, undisputed rulers of Thursday lunches, a pillar of our Italian cuisine. Warm, soft and tasty, they are a delightful and simple to prepare first course that brings adults and children together. Gnocchi are simple yet insidious to get the right consistency, and my Nonna is the absolute master, so follow her recipe and our tips to surely have the best Italian Potato Gnocchi you’ve ever eaten! Trust me!

Watch How to Make Potato Gnocchi video recipe:

How to Make Potato Gnocchi from scratch:

Vincenzo’s Top Tips To Make Potato Gnocchi

The most important step in the recipe!

Don’t over boil the potatoes or they won’t be the right consistency for gnocchi.

The BEST temperature

It is very important to make gnocchi when the potatoes are at room temperature, don’t make the mistake to make them when they’re still hot.

Another EXTRA

Add extra flour if you feel that the dough is too soft – just not too much at a time!

Nonna Igea’s Top Tips To Make Potato Gnocchi

Making a LARGE batch

If you are making a large batch, when they have all risen up, turn off the stove and add a glass (or two) of cold water, so that the gnocchi don’t become too soft before being strained!

Potato Gnocchi

Print Recipe

Prep Time: 45 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Equipment

• ▢
  Wooden board
• ▢
  knife
• ▢
  Potato masher
• ▢
  large pot
• ▢
  Saucepan
• ▢
  Hand strainer
• ▢
  fork

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 kg Potatoes, 35.2oz
• ▢ 300 grams Plain flour, 10.5oz
• ▢ 1 Egg
• ▢ EVOO
• ▢ Carrot, chopped into small cubes
• ▢ Onion, chopped into small cubes
• ▢ Celery
• ▢ Basil
• ▢ Sea salt
• ▢ Tomato

Instructions

• To start making Gnocchi peel the potatoes and boil them for about 10 minutes, until they are nice and soft
• Once boiled, strain them and squash them through the potato masher.
• Then spread the potatoes out slightly on the wooden board using a fork, so they can cool down.
• While the potatoes cool down it’s time to start making the sauce by putting a saucepan on the stove filled with a nice amount of EVOO.
• Then put the carrot and onion previously cut into the pan too.
• Once the carrot and onion are cooked, add the tomato with a couple of basil leaves, celery and sea salt and let it cook for about 30 minutes.
• Now, while the tomato sauce is cooking, go back to the potatoes which have now cooled down, and make a well in the middle of them, before cracking an egg into it.
• Start mixing the egg with the potatoes first, (using a fork or your hands) and then add the flour, just a small amount at a time, and mix it through by beginning to knead the dough.
• Massage it as much as possible until you get the right consistency.
• Once you’re happy with the consistency, you should have been able to create the form of what looks like a large single gnocchi!
• Cut a small portion of the potato gnocchi dough and, using the palms of your hands, roll it out, back and forth into a long coil.
• Using a knife, start cutting the coil in small pieces, on a diagonal – this will give you Nonna’s shape!
• As you roll out and cut your gnocchi, always leave the dough covered underneath a large bowl, so it doesn’t dry out.
• The potato gnocchi should be put into a flat tray, covered with flour at the bottom so they don’t stick.
• Add a sprinkle of flour to the top of the gnocchi once they are added into the tray.
• Repeat steps 11- 15 until you finish using all of your dough.
• Now it’s time to cook them! Bring about 5L of water to boil in a large pot and add a sprinkle of rock salt.
• Gently drop the gnocchi in making sure not to stir them or you might squash them!
• Once gnocchi have risen to the top, wait about 1 1/2 minutes and then strain them using a large colander.

Video

Author: Vincenzo’s Plate

How to serve Small Potato Pillows

When preparing potato dumplings, don’t forget to create a flavorful sauce to go with it. Start by putting a spoonful of tomato sauce in a bowl and sprinkle it with grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese. Gently place the cooked gnocchi into the bowl and repeat the layering process. Sprinkle more grated cheese before pouring more tomato sauce. Mix well with a wooden spoon and voila! You can now savor the deliciousness of your homemade gnocchi.

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