I’ll boil cheap dried pasta for a quick meal, but gnocchi must be made from scratch. Every brand I’ve tried, in shelf-stable vacuum-sealed packages or refrigerated bags, has a gummy heaviness that fails to satisfy – and these pillowy little dumplings are all about satisfaction.
The best homemade gnocchi use few ingredients and minimal flour. Like a crusty loaf or flaky pastry, the short ingredient list means technique is everything. I tried several approaches to develop instructions that produce consistently delicious, airy dumplings from preferably starchy but also waxy potatoes. Making gnocchi takes time, and stretching out the project over a rainy day or couple of chilly evenings gives the best results.
Homemade Pan-Fried Potato Gnocchi
Serves 4-6
3 pounds potatoes, scrubbed and fork-pricked
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
Freshly ground white or black pepper (optional)
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
Olive oil
Place a baking stone on the center oven rack or cover the lowest rack with foil; preheat to 375°F. Set the potatoes carefully on the stone or bare center rack above the foil-covered one. Bake until a fork easily pierces the potatoes, which might take 60 to 90 minutes depending on size.
Peel just-cooled potatoes with your fingers or a paring knife. Break apart the flesh and spread it on a rimmed baking sheet to release moisture and finish cooling.
Set a large bowl on a scale, and press potato chunks through a ricer or fine-mesh sieve into it. Stop at 30 ounces of riced potatoes (rice or mash the excess for another use). Spread the bowl’s contents on the baking sheet, cover with a tea towel and refrigerate for six to 24 hours.
Mound the chilled potatoes on a clean work surface, flatten slightly and drizzle with egg yolks and, if desired, pepper. With a dough scraper or spatula, cut into the mound every inch or so, side to side and top to bottom, to incorporate the egg. Sprinkle with a handful of flour, gently fold, remound and cut again. Repeat until the dough loses stickiness and a small amount shapes into a ball.
Push the mound aside, scrape sticky bits from the work surface and flour the workspace. Line two clean rimmed baking sheets with parchment.
Push the mound onto the floured workspace and shape a low, long, narrow loaf. Use a dough scraper or knife to cut slices, and then gently roll and stretch each into a 1/2-inch-thick rope. Cut each rope into 1-inch pieces. Finger-smooth the cut ends, gently roll a fork’s tines across each piece and set it on the parchment. Cover with a tea towel and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
To cook, set a large, heavy-bottomed, oil-coated skillet over medium heat. Fill the hot pan with gnocchi, leaving space between dumplings. Cook for two to four minutes, flip each dumpling and cook another two minutes, until cooked through and starting to brown. Transfer the gnocchi to a parchment-lined tray in a warm oven. Repeat with the remaining gnocchi. Serve immediately.
Julie Laing is a Bigfork-based cookbook author and food blogger at TwiceAsTasty.com.