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How to Make Gnocchi from Scratch

Name: How to Make Gnocchi from Scratch
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 pounds russet potatoes; 1 egg; 1 to 1½ cups flour

Fresh gnocchi starts with the right potato — russets work best because they're starchy and fluffy. Boil them whole with skins on, rice them while hot, then work in just enough flour to bind without making them dense. Roll, cut, and boil until they float. The key is a light hand and working fast while the potatoes are still warm.

Total time: 45 min
Hands-on: 20 min
Serves: 4
Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients

2 pounds russet potatoes
1 egg
1 to 1½ cups flour

Step by step

Boil the potatoes whole. Use 2 pounds russet potatoes. Don't peel them. Drop them in salted boiling water and cook until a knife slides through easily, about 25-30 minutes depending on size. The skins keep water out.
Rice the potatoes while hot. Drain and let them cool just enough to handle. Peel off the skins with a knife — they'll slip right off. Push the hot potatoes through a ricer or food mill onto a clean work surface. Work fast while they're steaming.
Add flour and egg. Make a well in the center of the riced potatoes. Crack one egg into the well and sprinkle 1 to 1½ cups flour around the edges. Start with less flour — you can always add more.
Knead into dough. Use a bench scraper to fold everything together, then knead gently with your hands until it just comes together. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky, not smooth or elastic like bread dough. Stop as soon as it holds together.
Roll into ropes. Divide the dough into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about ¾ inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Keep the other pieces covered with a damp towel while you work.
Cut into pillows. Use a bench scraper or knife to cut each rope into ¾-inch pieces. You can leave them as simple pillows or roll each piece over a gnocchi board or the back of a fork to create ridges.
Cook in salted water. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in the gnocchi — don't overcrowd. They're done when they float to the surface, usually 2-3 minutes. Lift them out with a slotted spoon.

Tips & troubleshooting

Use a ricer, not a masher. Mashers make the potatoes gluey, which leads to heavy gnocchi.
Work the dough as little as possible. Overworking develops gluten and makes them tough.
Test cook a few gnocchi before committing to the whole batch. If they fall apart, work in a little more flour.
Dust the cut gnocchi with flour and keep them on a floured baking sheet so they don't stick together.
Freeze uncooked gnocchi on a baking sheet, then transfer to bags. Cook from frozen — they'll take an extra minute or two.

Variations

Sweet Potato Gnocchi. Roast sweet potatoes instead of boiling russets. Use slightly more flour since sweet potatoes have more moisture. The result is orange-colored gnocchi with a subtle sweetness.
Ricotta Gnocchi. Mix ricotta cheese with flour and egg instead of potatoes. Use about 1 pound ricotta to 1½ cups flour. These are lighter and cook faster than potato gnocchi.
Brown Butter Sage. After cooking the gnocchi, toss them in brown butter with crispy sage leaves and a splash of the pasta water. Finish with parmesan.

Questions

Why are my gnocchi dense and heavy?: Usually too much flour or overworking the dough. The potatoes might also have absorbed too much water if you peeled them before boiling. Use the minimum flour needed to hold the dough together.
Can I make gnocchi ahead of time?: Yes, but don't store them in the refrigerator — they'll get sticky. Either cook them the same day or freeze them on a baking sheet, then store in freezer bags for up to 3 months.
What if I don't have a ricer?: Push the potatoes through a fine-mesh sieve with the back of a spoon, or use a food mill. As a last resort, mash them with a fork, but work quickly and don't overmash.
How do I know if the dough has enough flour?: Pinch off a small piece and roll it into a ball. If it holds its shape without sticking to your hands, it's ready. If it's too wet, add flour a tablespoon at a time.