When I made the braised short rib ragu I served it on polenta which I don’t use very often and that got me thinking about other things that you could serve a tasty ragu on. Of course pasta and rice come to mind first but then I thought about gnocchi which is another thing that I do not use too often. Gnocchi are soft potato dumplings that are made by combining flour and mashed potatoes. You can get creative with gnocchi by adding flavours or using different ingredients like sweet potatoes and I even recently tried some pumpkin gnocchi . Although the pumpkin gnocchi was really nice and I have a few more ideas for different gnocchi recipes, I figured that a plain and simple potato gnocchi would go best with my leftover ragu.
Potato gnocchi is actually pretty easy to make and once you get the hang of it, it does not take long either. First you need to cook the potatoes and you can either bake, boil or microwave them. I prefer to bake them and all that really requires is to toss them in the oven and walk away for an hour while they cook. After the potatoes have cooled down a bit you mash them and add any flavourings that you want followed by enough flour to turn it into a soft dough. Finally the dough is rolled out, cut it into small pieces and cooked before serving it as desired. With potato gnocchi being so nice and light, soft and chewy and addictively good, I think that I will be making it a lot more often!
Gnocchi
Perfectly light, soft and chewy potato dumplings that are a great replacement for pasta or rice.
ingredients
- 1 pound russet potatoes, about 2 large ones
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 – 3/4 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
directions
- Prick the potatoes a few times with a fork.
- Bake in a preheated 400F/200C oven until tender, about an hour.
- Scoop the inside out of the potatoes and mash them.
- Mix in the egg and enough of the flour to form a soft dough that is not too sticky to work with.
- Knead the dough for a minute and then roll it out into 4 long thin rolls about 1/2 inch thick.
- Cut the rolls into 1/2 inch pieces and then roll the pieces in flour lightly shaking off any excess.
- Roll the pieces over a gnocchi board or a fork to give them the ridges.
- Cook the gnocchi in boiling water in small batches until it floats to the surface, about 2-3 minutes, remove and set aside to drain.
- Use as desired.
Susie Q says
April 14, 2011 at 11:32 pmLooks easy enough, I think I'll try it! I love gnocchi, thanks for the recipe.
bellini says
April 14, 2011 at 11:57 pmI just love gnocchi Kevin. I first trie dit in Wasaga Beach as a teenager:D
Cassie says
April 15, 2011 at 1:28 amEvery time I have had gnocchi at a restaurant, I haven't been impressed – probably because they're usually covered with a cheese or cream sauce, which I often find too rich. Your recipe seems so simple to make at home, I should explore and give it a try with a sauce I know I'll like.
~Bee says
April 15, 2011 at 2:15 amEVERYONE in the blogosphere did gnocchi this week! Myself included! An equal number of plain and sweet potato varieties too.
Rachel says
April 15, 2011 at 2:23 amThis looks fabulous. Your pictures are beautiful
Kelly's Kitchen says
April 15, 2011 at 2:59 amThis recipe looks delicious and simple! Thanks for such a great suggestion! How much pumpkin did you add when you did add something? Just trying to get a good idea of proportions.. thanks!
Kelly
http://eatatkellys.blogspot.com/
Helene says
April 15, 2011 at 3:32 amKevin they turned out very good. I have never made Gnocchi before but I love the taste.
CHARMAINE says
April 15, 2011 at 4:13 amI make gnocchi and have discovered that microwaving the potatoes works better than the oven. Too much of the potato sticks to the skin in the oven. Then I like to put them through ricer.
Rosa's Yummy Yums says
April 15, 2011 at 6:32 amI'd love to have such a paddle. Your gnocchi are splendid.
Cheers,
Rosa
Joanne says
April 15, 2011 at 10:18 amFinding the perfect gnocchi recipe is harder than it sounds! You want it to be heavy but not too heavy and light but not too light…these look wonderful!
Chiara "Kika" Assi says
April 15, 2011 at 10:28 amGnocchi are my favorite. They remind me of my grandma 🙂
Samantha Angela @ Bikini Birthday says
April 15, 2011 at 12:52 pmHomemade gnocchi is the best. The store bought stuff doesn't compare.
I always just roll mine off a fork, I've never heard of a gnocchi board.
Rocky Mountain Woman says
April 15, 2011 at 3:38 pmI love gnocchi and use it quite often, but have never tried making it…
Guess it's time to try!
Chrissy says
April 15, 2011 at 3:53 pmThose look great! I failed royally when I tried to make a super healthy gnocchi with sweet potatoes and wheat flour. It was a mess. Had great success with a recipe similar to yours though 🙂
http://www.myfarefoodie.com
anniebakes says
April 15, 2011 at 4:19 pmThese look super delicious! I didn't realize they were so easy as well! Happy weekend! anne
Anonymous says
April 15, 2011 at 7:01 pmI have always wanted to know to make this! Thanks 🙂
OTA Mom says
April 15, 2011 at 7:10 pmI have always feared doing this, but your method seems so easy–might give it a try! 🙂
Anne says
April 15, 2011 at 10:29 pmI just made gnocchi last week (I froze mine…it makes a great and quick weeknight meal) but yours is so much more photogenic! I love that you used a gnocchi board!
Melinda says
April 15, 2011 at 10:59 pmI just tested this out today; gnocchi has always been my favorite! This recipe is fantastic – perfectly light and fluffy. I love how easy it is to make; I never realized before. Thanks, Kevin!
www.chellbellz.com says
April 16, 2011 at 12:05 amOMG that look super easy! I wonder what kind of flavorings can one use. I wonder if Sweat Potatoes and wheat flour would work as well. Now i kinda want to experiment and try somethings with that!
The Culinary Chase says
April 16, 2011 at 12:57 amKevin, these gnocchi look great!
megi says
April 16, 2011 at 12:49 pmThe gnocchi look perfect and your presentation and photos are wonderful!
Espana says
April 16, 2011 at 3:52 pmI’m not going to lie, I’m really impressed. It’s rare for me to find something on the internet that as entertaining and intriguing as what you’ve got here. Your page is sweet, your graphics are great, and what’s more, you use videos that are relevant to what you’re saying. You’re definitely one in a million, man!
The Queen of Chocolate says
April 16, 2011 at 6:09 pmI love gnocchi! they are so easy to make! I usually season it with ragù bolognese and mozzarella and I put it 10 min in the oven… pumpkin gnocchi are just wonderful! I'll make them as soon as I can! congrats for your creativity!
Lexi says
April 17, 2011 at 8:09 amI made these today, and for my first time making gnocchi, I think it came out pretty well. As there wasn't too much detail on what to do, I consulted other recipes–and cooled the "riced" potatoes off somewhat. I also added some pepper, nutmeg and salt to the mixture in addition to cheese. I should have added more salt I think to give it more flavor, but in general, I am satisfied with my first attempt.
It's funny that you did a post on gnocchi, as I was planning to make them this weekend anyways after watching so much of Top Chef Season 8, that I got the urge to make gnocchi.
I know you probably get a lot of requests, but do you have any suggestions for something low fat and low carb? Making gnocchi was an exception to my usual diet. 🙂
Ivonne Loving says
April 19, 2011 at 2:30 amHi! I included this post in this weeks from my reader round-up. Loved the post and thought it would be super useful to my friends and readers.
Anonymous says
August 5, 2013 at 3:49 amMade it with marinara sauce and a side of garlic bread tonight for dinner and impressed the whole family. Absolutely delicious. Thank you:)
Barb H says
September 1, 2018 at 9:03 amJust like what I fix but I boil my potatoes. Is there a major reason that you bake yours? Are the richer in flavor or what? Thank you for this. I love them. Babs