Founder of @Umami Sans Frontières
For 4 people:
For the gnocchi
For the sauce
1/ Cook the potatoes: Boil the potatoes with their skins on until fully cooked. Once done, drain them and peel while still hot without rinsing with water. Mash the potatoes well with a potato masher. If small lumps remain, smooth them out with a fork so the texture becomes as smooth as possible. A square heat-resistant glass dish works well because you can press the potatoes easily against the corners while mashing.
2/ Grate the cheese: While the potatoes are boiling, grate the cheese and set it aside.
3/ Add the egg and salt: When the potatoes have cooled slightly (warm enough to touch), add the salt and the beaten egg. Gently combine using your fingertips or a rubber spatula until evenly mixed. Mix lightly just until the ingredients are incorporated.
4/ Add the flour and form the dough: Add the flour in several additions. First add about 70–80% of the flour and gently fold it in from the bottom. When the dough begins to come together, stop mixing and add the remaining flour gradually if needed. The dough should come together softly and still feel slightly tender.
5/ Divide the dough: Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and cut it into manageable portions. This makes it easier to shape.
6/ Roll into ropes: Gently roll each portion into a rope about the thickness of your thumb. Use a little flour if the dough sticks, and roll lightly without pressing too hard.
7/ Cut the gnocchi: Cut the ropes into pieces about 2 cm wide using a knife or a bench scraper.
8/ Shape the gnocchi (optional): You can leave the pieces as they are, or gently press a small indentation with your finger. Another option is to roll each piece lightly on the back of a fork to create ridges. Be careful not to flatten the dough.
9/ Arrange the gnocchi: Place the shaped gnocchi on a tray lined with parchment paper and lightly dusted with flour so they do not stick together.
10/ Cook the gnocchi: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the gnocchi. When they float to the surface, cook for about 30 seconds, then remove them with a slotted spoon.
11/ Melt the butter: While the gnocchi are cooking, melt the butter in a pan over low heat.
12/ Finish the dish: Place the cooked gnocchi on a plate, pour the melted butter over them, then add the grated cheese. Finish with freshly ground black pepper.
🌟 Helpful Tips for Perfect Homemade Gnocchi 🌟
⭐️ Choose potatoes of a similar size: Try to select potatoes that are roughly the same size. If the potatoes are very different in size, they will cook at different speeds, and some may be overcooked while others are still firm.🥔
⭐️ Use as little flour as possible: Adding too much flour can make gnocchi heavy and dense, and you may lose the light, soft texture that makes them so enjoyable. The dough should feel slightly soft when it comes together — that usually means the texture will be just right.
⭐️ Why you shouldn’t rinse the potatoes with water: Right after boiling, potatoes are in a state where their surface absorbs water very easily. If you rinse them, moisture can seep under the skin and make the dough sticky when you mash them. Instead, drain the potatoes in a colander and let them cool slightly before peeling them while they are still dry.
⭐️ Don’t worry too much about the shape: Even if your gnocchi look a little uneven, they usually turn out quite nice once they are cooked. To be honest, mine don’t always look perfect either! Freshly made gnocchi are delicious regardless, so try not to worry about making them perfect and just enjoy the process.😉
⭐️ About the quantity: In our home we usually make gnocchi with about 1 kg of potatoes because everyone loves them. However, shaping them can take a bit of time. For home cooking, using about 500 g of potatoes can be a more manageable amount. In that case, using a whole egg may make the dough too soft, so it’s often better to skip the egg or use only the egg yolk.
⭐️ Choose your favorite sauce: In this recipe, I finish the gnocchi with butter and cheese, which is our family’s classic way of eating them. It really lets the flavor of the potatoes shine. Of course, gnocchi are also wonderful with other sauces, such as tomato sauce or basil sauce. Personally, I especially love them with basil sauce.🌿 If you’d like to try it, I’ve shared my basil sauce recipe on the blog as well.
👉 Homemade Pesto alla Genovese
Founder of @Umami Sans Frontières
