Gnocchi

Gnocchi is basically an Italian potato dumpling. First things first, they are not like Chinese dumplings that have filling (just to clarify). They most resemble thick noodles. Gnocchi originated in Northern Italy back in the late sixteenth century. The word gnocchi comes from the Italian word “nocca”, meaning knuckles. Which makes sense since they have ridges on the top, making them look like knuckles. Let’s move on to making gnocchi from scratch!

The ingredients

Down below is a list of ingredients you will need to make four servings of gnocchi.

• 800 grams of potatoes, washed

• 100 grams of unsalted butter

• 160 grams of flour

• 1 egg

• salt

• parmesan cheese (optional)

Making the gnocchi

The first thing you’ll want to do is turn on the oven to 400°F. Bake potatoes for 40-60 min or until very soft (you can poke them with a fork to test). If you have to leave them in longer do not worry. Some potatoes take longer than others, just don’t let them burn. Then melt the butter in a pot and set aside.

After your potatoes are done and have cooled off enough to hold, cut each potato in half and scoop out the insides, leave the skin behind. (Get rid of skins or use them to make crispy potato skins to eat with dip).

Next mash the potato insides until smooth. You can use a mixer, or just a fork. Then add the flour and the egg. Season with the salt and combine to form a smooth soft dough.

Sprinkle a little flour onto the area you are going to roll out your gnocchi. Roll the dough into long sausage shapes, just under an inch in diameter. Cut the ‘sausages’ into smaller pieces, about an inch and a quarter long. Lightly press a fork into each gnocchi to make little ridges.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the gnocchi and cook for 3 minutes or until they rise up to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain off any excess water.

Pour the melted butter over the gnocchi and sprinkle parmesan on top. 

Enjoy!

Click here for the free printable version of this recipe!

There are many ways to eat your gnocchi once you have made it. It’s good with pasta sauce over it, or alfredo sauce, or just eat it with butter and parmesan like I usually do.

If you have any questions just ask me in the comment section below!