Making Homemade Gnocchi: A Step-by-Step Guide

You'll need the following to begin:

2 1/2 lbs. of potato, approx. 4 lg. potatoes or 6 sm. potatoes*
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup or more for working dough
1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt

...and of course, a dry work space.

*General rule of thumb: 1 medium-sized potato per serving or person. For every potato, you want to use approximately 1/2 cup of flour.

First, clean and peel potatoes. Remove any brown spots. Cut potatoes into 1” cubes; be sure to cut into cubes consistent in size so that they cook evenly. Place cut potatoes in a medium-sized pot; fill with water just to cover. Add salt and cover with a lid. Stirring occasionally, boil potatoes for about 20 minutes or until fork tender. Over-boiling will cause potatoes to become mushy and too wet.

Remove potatoes from water; drain well. Allow them to cool in a colander or over cheesecloth. Rice potatoes using a potato ricer and keep in a towel to remove excess water.

Mound 2 1/2 cups of flour on the middle of a wooden board or a clean, dry countertop. Lightly flour work area.

Using your hands, make a well in the center of the flour.

Add the riced potatoes to the center. Make sure they have been given enough time to cool and drain. Wet potatoes will water down your dough.

Create another well in the center of the potatoes. Break one egg inside and add a 1/2 teaspoon of salt. 

Using a fork, begin to incorporate ingredients for dough by pulling flour into the center.

Slowly mix in only as much flour as the potato can absorb. You may not need all of the flour.

Once the dough starts to come together, begin kneading.

During the kneading process, add as much flour as necessary to hold dough together, but be weary of over-flouring. Too much flour will give you hard gnocchi.

Knead until ingredients are thoroughly combined. Form a wide rectangle with dough.

Cut dough into about 8-10 pieces, 4 inches long.

Roll each piece by gently pushing with fingers spread. The goal is to make an evenly-distributed rope. For shorter, heavier gnocchi, roll dough into thick ropes and cut into 1-inch pieces.

Roll longer ropes for thinner gnocchi and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces. (These are the gnocchi we are making.)

Cut ends at an angle. It's best to use a dough cutter for this, but a non-serrated knife will work just fine.

Some use a fork to make ribs, others indent gently with their thumb. This process isn't necessary and works best when creating plumper gnocchi.

While shaping gnocchi, keep finished gnocchi in a heavily floured, cool area as to prevent sticking. Do not wait longer than 45 minutes to cook.

To cook: Place finished gnocchi in a large pot of salted, boiling water. Cook until gnocchi until they float to the top, about 4-5 minutes. Remove them with a slotted spoon. Toss them in a saucepan with your favorite sauce and cook together for about 2 minutes.

For the best taste and texture, allow gnocchi to "sit" for a few minutes before serving. This recipe makes 4-6 servings. Click here for our straight-up recipe for homemade gnocchi (no step-by-step photos).

For a taste of the season, or maybe just the pumpkin lover in you: try this recipe for Pumpkin Ricotta Gnocchi with Butter Sage Sauce.