How to Make Gnocchi

Learn to make these tiny Italian potato dumplings and try them with your favorite sauce instead of traditional pasta.

Step 1: Bake the potatoes Bake the unpeeled potatoes in a 350 degree oven for about an hour, until fork tender.
Step 2: Cool the potatoes Let the potatoes cool until you can just handle them.
Step 3: Rice the potatoes Scoop out the inside of the potatoes and discard the skins. Pass the potatoes through a ricer.
TIP: If you don’t have a ricer, mash the potatoes lightly with a fork.
Step 4: Make dough Add the beaten egg yolks, flour, and salt to the potatoes to form a dough.
TIP: Do not over-mix the dough. You want your gnocchi to be light. Over-mixing or adding too much flour will make them heavy.
Step 5: Roll the dough Roll the dough by hand, on a floured surface, into three-quarter-inch rolls.
TIP: Treat the dough lightly. Gently roll out the dough with your fingertips without pressing down hard or compressing it.
Step 6: Cut the dough Cut the rolls into one-inch pieces. They should look like little dumplings. Use your fingertip or the tines of a fork to make a slight indentation in each one.
Step 7: Cook the gnocchi Cook the gnocchi in batches, about 20 at a time, in gently boiling salted water. Remove them when they rise to the top. Then drain the water and place them on a platter.
Step 8: Sauce and serve Serve the gnocchi with warm pasta sauce or simply butter and parmesan cheese.
FACT: Did you know? The Friuli region of Italy is known for sweet gnocchi made with plums, flour, and potatoes.