Learn how to make homemade gnocchi from potatoes, egg yolks and flour. Perfect little pillows that can be served in a million tasty ways!
Growing up, homemade potato gnocchi was practically a religion in my house. My family spent hours discussing the best way to make homemade gnocchi and each of my relatives had their own recipe and technique.
I’ve tried making gnocchi a zillion different ways over the years, including using boiled potatoes, baked potatoes, ricotta, whole eggs vs just yolks, grating the potatoes, ricing them, and using a masher.
Well, lucky for you my homemade potato gnocchi trials and tribulations have resulted in these perfect little pillows.
The texture is ideal: light but not too airy that they fall apart when they’re cooked, they can stand up to a hearty sauce, or can be pan-seared and doused with a light brown butter sauce.
What ingredients make perfect gnocchi?
What makes these homemade gnocchi magic? It’s really quite simple:
- Baked potatoes (not boiled)
- Egg yolks (not whole eggs)
- Kosher salt
- All purpose flour
The technique is as important as the ingredients. Ricing the baked potatoes keeps them light, and gradually folding in the flour on a well-floured surface makes for a smooth, soft dough; not too dense and not too sticky.
Always toss the gnocchi with flour after you cut them and keep them separated on a lined sheet tray before cooking. A ridged paddle isn’t necessary to finish the gnocchi, but again, I do recommend it.
The ridges help the sauce cling to the individual pieces so you don’t need to over-sauce them before serving.
How do I store homemade gnocchi?
Storage is also important to yield the right texture of the gnocchi once they’re cooked. If you’re cooking them within a few hours after making them, keep them on the floured sheet tray at room temperature.
They can become soggy if stored in the refrigerator!
If you don’t plan to cook them right away, they also freeze beautifully! Freeze them until solid, not touching, on a sheet tray and then simply pop them into a freezer-safe bag for storage for up to 3 months.
Let’s make Homemade Gnocchi
- Slice the baked potatoes in half lengthwise and cool slightly.
- Scoop out the potatoes and press through a ricer into a large bowl.
- Lightly mix in the egg yolks, salt, and about 1/4 cup of the flour.
- Flour a board or a clean surface and scrape out the potato mixture. The dough will be craggy.
- Lightly fold and knead the remaining flour into the dough until it is smooth but not sticky. Form the dough into a cylinder shape.
- Cut the dough into 1 inch thick slices and roll each slice into a rope, roughly 1 inch in diameter.
- Cut the rope into 1 inch pieces. Flour the pieces and place on a floured sheet tray.
- Optional* – Roll each piece off a ridged paddle. Flour the pieces lightly and store on the sheet tray at room temperature until ready to cook.
Tips for success
- I prefer to bake the potatoes instead of boiling them in water. Baking them means less moisture in the dough, which means you can use less flour, which in turn yields lighter gnocchi.
- I firmly recommend using a ricer for the lightest gnocchi. A box grater can be used in a pinch. (BONUS: A ricer makes the best mashed potatoes as well!)
- Knead the flour into the dough with the lightest touch possible. I find a light folding technique works the best.
- The finished dough should feel soft and smooth, but not sticky. Be sure to keep the board or the counter well floured as your roll.
- Try to use your fingertips as you roll out the ropes, not your whole hand. Cut into one inch pieces with a sharp knife or bench scraper.
- Always toss the cut gnocchi with flour to prevent sticking.
- Don’t store the gnocchi in the refrigerator as they’ll become too soft or soggy. If not using the gnocchi right away freeze them per the recipe instructions.
Serving suggestions for homemade gnocchi
- Pair bolognese sauce with homemade gnocchi for a hearty meal.
- Let your homemade gnocchi soak up this creamy tomato basil sauce.
- Switch up your Sunday sauce routine by serving gnocchi with sauce and meatballs.
- Fry up the gnocchi and serve with a creamy tomato sauce for dipping.
- A brown butter sage sauce is a classic accompaniment to pan-seared gnocchi.
- Toss leftover cooked gnocchi into soup just before serving for a more substantial meal.
Learn how to make homemade gnocchi from potatoes, egg yolks and flour. Perfect little pillows that can be served in a million tasty ways!
- 5 russet potatoes (about 3 lbs)
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 cup AP flour (+ extra for flouring the board)
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Prick the potatoes and bake them either in the oven or in the microwave until they can easily be pierced with a fork.
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Slice the potatoes lengthwise in half and allow them to cool slightly. Scoop the potatoes out and press them through a ricer into a large bowl. Discard the skins.
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Blend the yolks slightly and add them to the riced potatoes with the salt. Mix in about 1/4 cup flour with a fork.
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Flour a board or a clean counter with some additional flour (not the 1 cup per the recipe). Scrape the potato mixture onto the board and sprinkle some more flour over the top (from the 1 cup per the recipe).
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Gradually add the remaining flour and lightly fold the potato mixture until 1 cup of flour is incorporated. The dough should be smooth. Form the gnocchi into a cylinder shape.
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Cut off 1 inch slices of the dough and roll into a long rope, about 1 inch in diameter, using mainly your fingertips. Cut into 1 inch pieces. Toss the pieces with flour and roll off on a ridged paddle if desired. If you don't have a ridged paddle, simply toss them with flour on a lined baking sheet.
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Repeat with the remaining dough. The finished gnocchi can sit on the counter for up to 3 hours if you're using today. To cook, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil and add the gnocchi. Cook until the gnocchi float, about 2-3 mins. Remove with a slotted spoon and toss with desired sauce.
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To freeze, place the tray directly into the freezer and leave it until the pieces are completely frozen. Once frozen, place the gnocchi in a ziplock freezer bag for up to 3 months. Frozen gnocchi will take a couple extra minutes to cook.
- I prefer to bake the potatoes instead of boiling them in water. Baking them means less moisture in the dough, which means you can use less flour, which in turn yields lighter gnocchi.
- I firmly recommend using a ricer for the lightest gnocchi. A box grater can be used in a pinch. (BONUS: A ricer makes the best mashed potatoes as well!)
- Knead the flour into the dough with the lightest touch possible. I find a light folding technique works the best.
- The finished dough should feel soft and smooth, but not sticky. Be sure to keep the board or the counter well floured as your roll.
- Try to use your fingertips as you roll out the ropes, not your whole hand. Cut into one inch pieces with a sharp knife or bench scraper.
- Always toss the cut gnocchi with flour to prevent sticking.
- Don’t store the gnocchi in the refrigerator as they’ll become too soft or soggy. If not using the gnocchi right away freeze them per the recipe instructions.
