Potato Gnocchi
One of the most beloved foods in my family is gnocchi. My grandmother – my mom's mom – makes unbelievably delicious gnocchi, and a while back she gave me her recipe (as well as some tips to help me). In honor of Butter & Whisk's first birthday, I finally decided to give it a try, with the knowledge that like most Italian dishes, you'll get better at it the more times you make it. Why not start practicing now?
Gnocchi is interesting in that there's really not much of a recipe for it, given that there are only three main ingredients. It sounds incredibly simple, but it takes practice to be able to get things right. It involves making some judgement calls along the way, and like most recipes that involve some kind of dough, you have to know what consistency you're looking for in order to really get it right.
I've tried to include all the advice I can in the instructions, but know that this doesn't guarantee you the perfect gnocchi. This batch that I made turned out good, but it wasn't quite where I wanted it to be. The good news is that the recipe you'll find below reflects the changes I'll be making next time based on how this recent batch went! Even with that said, it's good to keep in mind that because potatoes vary in size and in the amount of water they hold, you'll probably have to alter the amount of flour needed each time you use this recipe.
Before I start to sound too discouraging, let me say a couple things. One – I am saying all this in the interest of honesty, because it bothers me when people make everything about their online persona seem effortless and perfect. Basically nothing is not effortless, y'all. Don't let anyone fool you. But also, two – when it comes to gnocchi, the effort is worth it. My grandmother's gnocchi isn't like the store-bought pre-packaged kind, chewy and dense. They're light and practically melt in your mouth. They're essentially magic. And mine may not quite be magical yet, but one day I'll get there!
Side note about Butter & Whisk: When starting this blog, I set a goal to post once a week for a year. This post, one full year after my very first, marks my completion of that goal! It's been a fun creative endeavor, and I'm very thankful for anyone who has followed along. Moving forward, I'll continue posting, just not every week!
POTATO GNOCCHI
Prep Time: 90 minutes
Cook Time: ~5 minutes
Ingredients
3 large potatoes
2-2½ cups flour (plus extra for flouring prep space)
2 eggs
1 t salt
Directions
Wash the potatoes, and boil for about 20-25 minutes. Set aside to cool, then peel. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and salt together. Cover a table or open counter space with craft paper and a little flour.
Once potatoes are cooled and peeled, either grate them (using small holes, not large) or put them through a ricer. Place the grated/riced potatoes in a large bowl, and add one cup of flour. Fluff the flour-potato mixture with a fork to combine. Continue adding flour until the potatoes are covered. Add the eggs into the potatoes, and mix until everything is holding together, adding a little more flour if needed (only if needed – the less flour you can get away with using, the better!). Use your hands to combine the ingredients if needed, but be gentle. The dough should be sticky, but not wet, and do not knead it.
Moving to the craft-paper prep space, roll small amounts of the dough out into long rolls, about 1 inch in width. Cut the roll into ½-inch pieces, so each piece will be 1 inch by ½ inch. With light pressure (not too much – we don't want to actually zest the dough!), roll each piece along a zester with one finger, creating a small groove with your fingers and small indents from the zester. As you go, make sure each gnocchi is sitting on a surface covered with a little flour so it doesn't stick.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. In small batches (to avoid sticking), drop the gnocchi into the water, and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the gnocchi have been floating at the top for 1-2 minutes. Drain and serve with pasta sauce – side of bread and red wine recommended!
Happy Eating,
Natalie