How to Make Homemade Gnocchi

Here's a great homemade gnocchi recipe that you can try at home for an authentic Italian dish everyone will love. Yes, it's a little time consuming but homemade pasta is always worth the effort.

My friend Carole was gracious enough to share her grandmother's homemade gnocchi recipe. Carole and I became friends through blogging. She originally blogged at GardenUpGreen and now she is launching a new blog under her own name, CarolWest. Carole is an experienced gardener and homesteader and has written many articles and books on raising quail, gardening techniques, and creative woodworking projects.

Carole's Homemade Potato Gnocchi Recipe

It starts with mashed potatoes. If you have a potato ricer you could use it for this recipe. However, I used a standard hand mixer. Also, I used russet potatoes but you can use Yukon gold potatoes. Just don't use a waxy potato such as a red potato.

I think some people make gnocchi with ricotta cheese but I'm most familiar with potato gnocchi and that's how Carole makes it.

Add an egg to the center of the potatoes and flour to make the dough.

The dough bowl is quite large so I cut it into four sections and worked on one at a time.

You roll out the dough and cut it into 1/2 slices. Then roll the slices and cut them into "bite-size" pieces. I made mine about 1 inch. However, I think a little smaller might be even better.

Next, you roll them using the back of a fork to give them that signature gnocchi look. I believe the reason you do this is not only decorative but the tines of a fork make ridges that help the pasta hold more sauce.

This takes some practice. I think the one above turned out pretty good.

However, as you can see there is quite a bit of variation in my work. Don't worry, they still taste great.

Carole says you should freeze the gnocchi first. Once they firm up in the freezer you can place them in ziplock bags or cook them.

When cooking gnocchi you will know that they are ready when they float to the top of a large pot of boiling water.

We had some of my husband's homemade tomato sauce in the freezer so that's what I used with this batch of gnocchi. Topped with lots of Parmesan cheese of course. One of these days I will post his famous pasta with meatballs and sauce. It's really good. However, you could use a pesto or brown butter and sage sauce. Whatever pasta sauce you like.

Carole's gnocchi was really good too. This recipe made more than enough for two hearty meals for us. Of course, they are gone already. I'll have to make a new batch very soon.