Gnocchi Without a Ricer

These light, pillowy Italian potato dumplings are refreshingly easy to make even with the most basic of equipment. All you need is a bit of time and you will be reward with some truly delicious gnocchi!

4.5 from 59 votes

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Servings 4

Prep Time 30

Additional Time 1

Total Time 2 30

Ingredients

800 g (28 oz) potatoes skins on and scrubbed
1 egg lightly beaten
150 g (1¼ cups) all-purpose flour sifted, plus more for work surface

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Prick potatoes all over with a fork. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake until tender and the skin and flesh is easily pierced with a knife, about 1 hour.
Remove potatoes from oven and, holding one potato in a towel to protect your hands, remove the skins with a paring knife immediately. Allow peeled potatoes to cool completely at room temperature, uncovered. Alternatively, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight
Once potatoes are cooled, gently grate them on the small holes of a box grater. Spread the "riced" potatoes over a large cutting board or clean work surface. You should have about 500g of riced potatoes.
Pour one beaten egg over the potatoes, dust with sifted flour and season with salt and pepper. Using a bench scraper, cut and combine the ingredients together until well blended. Then, using your hands, gently knead until the dough just comes together and an obvious dough forms, about one minute to 90 seconds (see note 1). Gather into a ball and set aside.
Dust a clean work surface with flour and divide the dough into smaller pieces. Working one piece at a time, very gently roll the dough into a log that is about 3cm (1 inch) in diameter.
Using a bench scraper or knife, cut the log into 3cm (1 inch) wide pieces. Working one piece at a time, roll the dough over the back of the tines of a fork to shape the gnocchi. Set aside on a floured plate or baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough (see note 2).
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil. Gently drop in your gnocchi, stir to prevent sticking, and cook until they float to the top of the water, only about 2 minutes. Remove from the water and dress with desired sauce.

Video

Notes

While it's very easy to overwork the gnocchi dough, it's also possible to underwork the dough. If this is the case, your gnocchi can disintegrate when boiled. Make sure the feeling of the dough after kneading has some structure and holds together more than mashed potatoes would.
Formed, raw gnocchi can be frozen. Transfer formed gnocchi to a plate or baking sheet that is lightly floured. Freeze on the plate until solid and then transfer to a plastic bag or airtight container and freeze for up to three months. Cook directly from frozen, just be sure to add a minute or two onto the cooking time.

Nutrition

Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.

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