MAKING HOMEMADE GNOCCHI IS EASIER THAN YOU'D EVER BELIEVE
If making homemade pasta seems like too much of a process (or if you don’t have the equipment to roll out the dough), then gnocchi is the easy pasta to try making yourself. This rustic, dumpling-like pasta is much easier to make and shape by hand than ravioli, and once made, you can use it with countless recipes and sauces. Roasting your potatoes takes the longest amount of time in this recipe, and even that is primarily hands-off. There’s no resting necessary, or even a rolling pin. Seriously—if you’ve never made homemade pasta before, this is where you should start. Here’s everything you need to know:
How do you cook gnocchi?
Gnocchi is often boiled, just like pasta. It only takes a couple of minutes, and you’ll know they’re done when the gnocchi floats to the top. Boiling gnocchi gives you pillowy soft dumplings, but you can also pan-fry gnocchi. This also only takes a couple of minutes in a bit of oil or butter and will give you more of an al dente bite with crispy outsides.
What sauce is best with gnocchi?
There are endless ways to serve gnocchi. You can serve it with a simple marinara or fresh pesto for a bright and simple pasta dish. Give it the cacio e pepe treatment by cooking boiled gnocchi in a little butter and adding plenty of Parmesan, pecorino, and lots and lots of black pepper. Add a little pasta water to help the sauce come together and coat the gnocchi. Simply tossing gnocchi in some brown butter and topping with Parmesan is also one of our favorite simple ways to eat homemade gnocchi.
One of our all-time favorite gnocchi recipes is our creamy chicken and gnocchi, but you can really use homemade gnocchi in any of our saucy recipes; if using in a pan-fried recipe, be warned that the gnocchi might not result in the same way.
Can I freeze gnocchi?
Absolutely. After rolling out your dough and cutting each piece, place them on a large baking sheet in a single layer. Let them freeze completely on the baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. Gnocchi can be kept frozen for up to 3 months. When ready to cook, boil from frozen. Keep in mind that the gnocchi may need a minute longer to boil.
Made this recipe? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
Yields: 6-8 servings
Prep Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 2 hours
Ingredients
- 4
large russet potatoes (about 3 lb. total)
- 2
large eggs
- 2 c.
(240 g.) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 2 tsp.
kosher salt, plus more
Semolina flour, for dusting
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400°. Poke potatoes all over with a fork. Place directly on oven racks and roast potatoes until easily pierced with a knife, about 1 hour. Let cool slightly.
- When potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut in half and scoop out insides. Discard skins. Run potatoes through a ricer or mash well with a fork. Transfer to a large bowl. Add eggs, all-purpose flour, and salt and mix with a wooden spoon until a dough forms.
- Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 3 minutes.
- Sprinkle a layer of semolina flour on a baking sheet. Divide dough into 4 pieces. Using your hands, roll each piece to a long rope about 1/2" in diameter. Cut ropes into 1" pieces. Arrange pieces on baking sheet. Gently toss in semolina to coat. If dough is too soft to work with at this point, freeze 10 minutes. Using the back of a fork, roll each piece of dough along the tines to create ridges and return to baking sheet.
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook gnocchi until it floats to the top, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer gnocchi to preferred sauce and toss to coat.