While store bought gnocchi is an easy option, when I have the chance, I prefer to make my own. I am always a little wary of anything that is shelf stable, especially a pasta. When I make my own gnocchi, I know exactly what goes in it- potato, egg and flour and that’s it! Plus, its great for when you have leftover mashed potatoes or leftover filling from baked potatoes after making these delicious breakfast potato skins.
Here is more good news- making your own gnocchi is also pretty easy and foolproof. Here is the bad news- it makes a huge mess all over the kitchen and you are likely to have flour everywhere.
Start with about 2 lbs of potatoes. You can use leftover mashed potatoes, or you can boil pieces of potato until they are soft and mash them. You can also microwave or bake whole potatoes until they are soft and mash them then. They need to be finely mashed- try whipping them in your mixer or really get down and dirty with them and mash by hand until very smooth.
Start with the flesh of 2lbs of potatoes.
Add 1 egg and 1/2 cup flour (you will need more flour, for every 2lbs of potatoes you will need ~1 1/2- 2 cups four, depending on how moist your potatoes are).
Knead together, adding more flour as necessary to get a smooth dough.
Divide the dough into 4 balls. Roll each ball out into a long “snake” about 1/2″ thick. Cut the snake into 1″ long pieces.
Using the tines of a fork, mark the gnocchi (why do we do this? I am not sure, its just how gnocchi looks, feel free to shape it into another shape if you desire!). If you want, you can freeze it from here. When you are ready to use, remove the gnocchi from the freezer and dump directly into boiling water.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the gnocchi. The gnocchi is done when it floats to the top of the water, about 3-5 minutes. Remove gnocchi and then try it in this tangy gnocchi recipe, or try it in this butternut squash and gnocchi recipe!
** Notes: Don’t limit yourself to just white potatoes. Try this with sweet potatoes, purple potatoes, pumpkin or butternut squash!