Make Basic Gnocchi

click image to enlarge

Save Print E-mail

Discover how easy it is to make your own light and fluffy gnocchi with our foolproof recipe.

Making gnocchi is simple – a light hand and a few basic ingredients are all you need to whip up these fluffy potato pillows. An Italian classic, gnocchi is a great addition to the home cook’s repertoire as it’s straightforward enough for a simple family meal while also being sufficiently elegant for entertaining. Like pasta, gnocchi only becomes truly fabulous when teamed with other flavours, so we’ve provided you with three simple sauce recipes to help your gnocchi really stand out.

You will need

4 (750g) desiree potatoes, unpeeled
1 1 / 3 cups (200g) plain flour, plus a little extra

Serves 4

1. Place potatoes in a saucepan. Cover with cold water and bring to the boil over high heat. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until just tender when tested with a skewer (don’t test too much as potatoes will become waterlogged). Drain well. Set aside until just cool enough to handle. While still hot, peel by hand and discard skins. Using a potato ricer or mouli (French rotary grater), puree potatoes into a bowl. Season to taste with salt. Cool slightly. 
2. Add flour to potatoes then use your hands to knead briefly until a soft dough forms. If mixture is still sticky, add a little more flour (the amount of flour added is crucial – too much flour will make the cooked gnocchi heavy and tough, while too little flour will cause gnocchi to disintegrate during cooking). Turn dough on to a lightly floured surface.
3. Cut dough into 4 equal-sized pieces. Using your hands, gently roll each piece out to form a log about 2cm wide. Using a lightly floured knife, cut each log into 1.5cm-long pieces.
4. Roll each ball of gnocchi over the tines of a lightly-floured fork, pressing gently with your index finger or thumb underneath as you go, to form a dent in the back of each one and fork marks on the other side (this creates a textured surface, helping sauces to cling to cooked gnocchi). 
5. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add 1 / 4 of the gnocchi. As they cook, gnocchi will rise to the surface of the water. Continue cooking gnocchi at the surface for about 10 seconds then remove with a large slotted spoon and drain well. Repeat with remaining gnocchi. Serve immediately, tossed together with your favourite sauce.

Recipes, words & food preparation: Leanne Kitchen. Photography: Andrew Lehmann . Styling: Michelle Noerianto