Super Easy Homemade Gnocchi ~ this light pasta dumpling recipe is made with fluffy baked potato in the dough and is the only homemade pasta I’ve found that is actually easy to make!
One of my most devastating failures in the kitchen this past year involved a batch of homemade gnocchi.
I think it was sometime last fall or winter. It’s taken me a long time to get over the sight of those slimy globs of dough that were supposed to be fluffy little pillows of fresh pasta. Happily it seems I was able to put all that behind me and carry on…these classic homemade gnocchi are fantastic
There are lots of different types of gnocchi dough, some enriched with spinach, ricotta, or even the ill-fated butternut squash. These are made with fluffy baked potato scooped out of its skin and blended with flour into a sublime nutmeg scented dough.
I love nutmeg, and I look for any excuse to use it. Gnocchi is pretty much a blank slate, so whatever you season it with really shines.. I’m going to be a purist today—my gnocchi are going to swim in a Fresh Tomato Sauce loaded with basil.
This turned out to be an easy and satisfying project. Depending on your mood you can be an Italian grandmother carrying on a thousand year old tradition, or a kindergartner at the play-dough table. Either way it’s cool.
The dough gets kneaded for just a few minutes, long enough to be enjoyable, but not so long that it’s a drag. Then the fun begins, you roll out slim snakes of dough, and chop them into inch long bits.
Lay them out on a baking tray, sprinkle them with flour, and you can either cook them right away, or freeze them.
If you’re going to freeze them, put them in the freezer right on the tray for about 30 minutes until they’re hard, and then pack them in heavy zip lock baggies. When you want to cook them, all you have to do is pop them straight into boiling water directly from the freezer.
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg, freshly ground
- 1/2 tsp salt and pepper to taste
- 2 russet potatoes (mine weighed about 1 1/2 lbs)
- 1 egg yolk
Instructions
- Set oven to 400F
- Whisk the flour, nutmeg, salt, and pepper together and set aside.
- Wash and prick the potato skins. Bake for about an hour, or until they are fully cooked and soft when you insert a fork.
- Let them cool for a couple of minutes, then cut them in half lengthwise.
- Using a fork, scoop out the potato into a bowl, you want the potato to be fluffy, without large lumps. (You can do this ahead of time if you want to)
- Add the egg yolk to the potatoes, working in with the fork until combined. Keep the fluffy texture going.
- Add the flour to the potato and egg, working with your hands to combine it together into a dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead it for 3 or 4 minutes, until smooth.
- Break off about a fifth of the dough and gently roll it out into a long rope, about 3/4 inch thick.
- Cut the rope into 1 inch bits, and place on a baking sheet. Dust with flour.
- Repeat with the rest of the dough. Now you are ready to cook, or freeze the gnocchi.
- To freeze, set the tray right in the freezer and let set for 30 minutes, then pop the gnocchi into freezer bags. They can be cooked from frozen in the same way as fresh; don't defrost.
- To cook, boil a large pot of salted water and cook the gnocchi in batches for just 2 minutes. They will rise to the surface when they are done.
- Serve hot with your favorite sauce, or just add butter and cheese.
Notes:
- This recipe uses 2 russet potatoes. Mine weighed 1 1/2 lbs, so I used 1 cup of flour. If yours weigh more like 2 lbs, use 1 1/4 cups of flour.
- I’m really happy with these, they turned out light and delicious, and I love the option of freezing them in portion sizes. Compared to lots of other recipes out there, this one is very easy and straightforward, it’s going to be the base for further experimentation this winter. Hope you try it!
Don’t forget to pin this Homemade Gnocchi!
35 Comments
suzy
October 13, 2019 at 5:26 pmTwo minutes is not long enough. Once they boil, sink and come back up they’re done. Two minutes is too soon for the times I’ve made them.
Suzanne
October 13, 2015 at 5:33 pmI micro-wave my taters for a quicker cook time, and use a potato masher. If you like a “chewier” gnocchi work with it a few minutes longer. I love these with butter and lot’s of garlic. :)
Sue
October 13, 2015 at 7:48 pmthanks for the tips, Suzanne :)
Amy L
August 25, 2013 at 3:38 pmThese look yummy and not too difficult to make.Your blog is becoming one of my favorites :)
grace
September 2, 2012 at 11:19 amthose look like little pillows, which is not what i have seen in the gnocchi of my past. dense, sink-to-the-bottom-of-your-stomach gnocchi is not good, but these look amazing!
Lizzy Do
September 1, 2012 at 4:47 pmIt’s been years since I’ve made gnocchi! You’ve inspired me to make some soon…yours looks perfect, Sue! You’d never guess you had a gnocchi disaster :)
Cathy at Wives with Knives
August 31, 2012 at 2:10 pmYum, yum, that looks so good. I’ve thought about making gnocchi but it always seems like such a big project that I put it off for another day. You make it sound doable, Sue, and I would love to have some in the freezer.
Sue/the view from great island
August 31, 2012 at 3:02 pmJust think play-dough table!
Susan Lindquist
August 31, 2012 at 12:40 pmOh! These look sooo much better than those spinach gnocchi that I made in the Spring! The dough looks more firm and malleable … I love the photo of the nutmeg, by the by. I’ve never seen the real deal, as I buy it ground in the bottle!
I am going to make a batch using your recipe for my next pasta meal … having to limit pasta on my diet, but this is def the next carb treat!
Sue/the view from great island
August 31, 2012 at 3:02 pmI think there is something better about the potato version, because the vegetable recipes like spinach and pumpkin, etc, aren’t as starchy as the potato, so I think they result in a different texture. Just a theory.
A Trifle Rushed
August 31, 2012 at 6:40 amI only started making pasta a few months ago and really love it.
Next stop gnocchi, your instructions are so clear, and what a spectacular result, and a bonus that you can freeze it,
Sue/the view from great island
August 31, 2012 at 3:00 pmPasta is no man’s territory for me, but maybe…if I don’t have to buy any fancy equipment….Gnocchi will be a breeze for you if you’ve already tackled pasta!
Bites from life with the barking lot
August 31, 2012 at 3:30 amI had a terrible gnocchi experience about 10 years ago and have never entertained the notion of trying again. You’ve made it look possible, so I’m thinking I just might give it a go. They look lovely and how great to freeze in smaller portions. Thanks!
Sue/the view from great island
August 31, 2012 at 2:59 pmI’m glad to know I wasn’t alone in failure. My failed recipe had me drop bits of dough free-form into the boiling water. I won’t do that again, for sure.
Eileen
August 30, 2012 at 7:35 pmYay, gnocchi! Making a huge batch and storing them in the freezer is a perfect idea. I love it!
Sue/the view from great island
August 31, 2012 at 2:55 pmYup, filling the freezer is the way to go!
Inside a British Mum's Kitchen
August 31, 2012 at 1:43 amOh this looks so delicious – perfect comfort food and beautifully made!!! so glad this worked out so well this time!!
mary x
Amy
August 31, 2012 at 12:25 amBravo, Sue! Your gnocchi looks fantastic. Shame about your butternut squash gnocchi though, that’s something I’ve always wanted to make. Maybe I’ll give these a try first then.
Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez
August 30, 2012 at 10:48 pmHomemade gnocchi is both one of my favorite things to make AND eat. I’m seriously craving some now. I’ve always meant to make a butternut squash gnocchi…let me know if you find a good recipe! (mmmm…brown butter and sage….)
Sue/the view from great island
August 31, 2012 at 2:57 pmI can’t decide whether to re-tackle the butternut squash version, but wouldn’t they be awesome with the brown butter and sage?????
Yvonne
February 28, 2015 at 4:19 pmPlease do. I’m doing these potato ones tomorrow. Can’t wait for an update on your squash version.
Thanks.
Yvonne.
Averie @ Averie Cooks
August 30, 2012 at 9:39 pmI have never made homemade gnocchi, have always deemed it as way too complicated and labor-intensive and you made me realize it’s not insurmountable. They are gorgeous, too!
Sue/the view from great island
August 31, 2012 at 2:56 pmYeah, I read many comments in my research about it being labor intensive, and I’m surprised at how easy it was. Now homemade pasta is another story…
Alyssa Marie
August 30, 2012 at 9:06 pmCould you make like.. Pumpkin or sweet potato gnocchi? Or maybe butternut squash gnocchi? Any thoughts?
Sue/the view from great island
August 31, 2012 at 2:53 pmI did try the butternut squash, but that was a disaster. I will try pumpkin this fall, for sure, I’m a sucker for anything pumpkin!
Tabitha
August 30, 2012 at 5:18 pmI could live on these drizzled with butter.
Sue/the view from great island
August 31, 2012 at 2:49 pmI almost went that route, that’s probably the ultimate way to eat them.
Kristy Lynn
August 30, 2012 at 5:12 pmit looks fabulous darling!!! you’ve made me want to make some again right now – stupid moving day! everything is in boxes and all i want is a bowl of your gnocchi and tomato sauce. balls.
thanks for taking the time to stop by and try my recipe – yours really do look friggin awesome :) pinning! xo!
Sue/the view from great island
August 31, 2012 at 2:39 pmOh, my condolences on moving day, that can be so draining—but hopefully you’ll get a fun new place to settle into. Thanks for the recipe!
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert
August 30, 2012 at 5:04 pmI can’t believe I’ve never tried gnocchi – I know … I must live under a rock. I should make these and try them and since I have nothing to compare them to – they will be terrific! Ha – you did a beautiful job on these Sue – you must have been channeling the Italian grandma today :) Wonderful fresh meal and the freezing suggestions is brilliant.
Sue/the view from great island
August 31, 2012 at 2:37 pmI can believe you’ve never tried it, it doesn’t show up on menus all that often these days. I have to make another batch asap to put in the freezer, since we ate all of this batch. I think gnocchi is a great winter comfort food, so I want to stock up.
Mary
August 30, 2012 at 4:37 pmI hate when a failure turns me away from even attempting a recipe again. Way to go with this beautiful batch. I have no doubt that you will be posting all sorts of fabulous varieties on this gnocchi very soon!
Sue/the view from great island
August 31, 2012 at 2:35 pmYeah, and I tend to get discouraged easily, so it was extra satisfying when this turned out well. And since I have almost zero interest in going to all the trouble to make homemade pasta, this will probably be the closest I ever get.
Sulpicia (III)
August 30, 2012 at 4:29 pmThat looks wonderful! I love gnocchi and always wanted to make my own, but I had heard that in needs a ricer in order to achieve the desired texture. Glad to hear that was wrong. I may try this some time soon…
Sue/the view from great island
August 31, 2012 at 2:30 pmThe texture of these was great, and all I did was use a fork. It helps to use russet potatoes, which bake up naturally fluffy, and to bake them long enough so they’re really cooked through. Hope you try it, I’ll be your taste tester!