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gnocchi board with a rolled gnocchi on it surrounded by other individual gnocchi
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Potato Gnocchi Recipe

Potato Gnocchi, especially my mother's, is my favourite food in the world!  Finally, I had the opportunity to document her recipe so I can preserve it and share it with all of you. 
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword potato gnocchi, how to make gnocchi, tips for making gnocchi
Prep Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings 4 servings
Calories 460kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 kg potatoes, about 4-6 potatoes, preferably russets
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 1/2-3 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
  • pinch salt

Instructions

  • Peel the potatoes and place the in a large pot, cover with water, add salt and bring to a boil. Cook until tender, about 40 minutes. Drain well and allow to cool slightly. 
  • Using a potato ricer, rice the potatoes directly on your work surface. A ricer will give you the best results but if you don't have one, mash the potatoes lightly with a fork, You want a light and fluffy consistency.
  • Make a small well in the centre of the potatoes and add the eggs. Add a pinch of salt and beat lightly with a fork. 
  • Sprinkle  2 1/2 cups of flour around the potato mixture, in a circular fashion. With your fingers, gradually begin incorporating the flour into the potato mixture. Add flour until the dough is no longer sticky. You may not need to use all the flour. The dough must remain light and airy, therefore knead with a light hand. The mixture will be very crumbly at first but as enough flour is added, a dough will form. In order to test for readiness, take a small piece of dough and roll it between the palms of your hand. If it is too sticky, add a bit more flour.
  • Cut the dough into 4 pieces. Using the palms of your hands and by applying gentle pressure roll the dough into a long rope about 1.5 cm thickness. If the rope becomes too long to roll easily, cut it in half and continue rolling. 
  • Cut the rope into approximately 3 cm pieces. Using a wooden gnocchi board (or the back of a fork or the small holes of a cheese grater), place your thumb on the gnocchi and gently roll across the board in order to form an indentation. Place the gnocchi on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper that has been lightly floured. Repeat with the remaining gnocchi dough.
  • If cooking immediately, bring water in large pot to a boil and salt. Drop gnocchi into the boiling water, stir gently and once the gnocchi have come to the surface, drain well and serve with your favorite sauce and Parmigiano cheese.

Notes

  • Traditional pasta dough requires a resting period before rolling. Do not let gnocchi dough rest or place in the refrigerator before rolling, you will have a sticky, mushy dough on hand!
  • The key to making gnocchi is to handle the dough with a light hand, as opposed to bread dough which requires vigorous kneading.
  • When making gnocchi dough you must gradually incorporate the flour into the potato/egg mixture until a dough which is neither too firm nor too sticky has formed.
  • Don't fret as you begin this process as you will have a crumbly mess of potatoes and flour on your work surface that you think will never turn into dough. Patience!
  • In order to test if the dough is ready for rolling, break off a small piece of dough and roll in the palm of your hands. If it doesn't stick, it's ready to roll.  Otherwise add more flour. 
  • When rolling the dough, if it becomes too difficult to handle as it lengthens, cut in half and continue rolling.
  • If you don't have a handy gnocchi board, use the tines of a fork or even a cheese grater as we used to.
  • If the dough sticks when rolling onto the gnocchi board, dust the board with a bit of flour.
  • If you want to make gnocchi ahead of time, they do freeze well. As you shape the gnocchi, lay them flat on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper which has been lightly floured. Once they have frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag.
  • Note that frozen gnocchi will take longer to cook. When you dump them in the boiling water, cover the pot until the water comes back to a boil.

Nutrition

Calories: 460kcal | Carbohydrates: 90g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 57mg | Potassium: 1146mg | Fiber: 8g | Vitamin A: 120IU | Vitamin C: 28.5mg | Calcium: 99mg | Iron: 12.1mg