Featured comment
This was my first time making Gnocchi and your recipe was easy! I was a bit intimidated, but I followed your instructions and it was divine!! thank you!! The photography and step by step instructions are perfect!!
Angela Cadena
This recipe is sponsored by DeLallo
Watch How To Make Gnocchi At Home
You guys, this is going to be epic. Are your gnocchi minds even ready for this bonanza?
Today we are talking HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE GNOCCHI… party style. Because fresh homemade Italian food is best when made with friends and wine and excessive laughter.
True story: in 2015, I went on a trip with DeLallo and had the chance to get up close and personal with the process of making homemade gnocchi. It was so glorious. There was a creamy mushroom sauce. There was wine and laughter. There was lots of cheese. I have never been the same.
In 2016, I decided it was time to get more gnocchi in my life. So I rounded up my dinner club, and naturally they all showed up with homemade sauces, condiments, cheeses, and a willingness to roll those little bits of potato dough with me.
AND IT WAS SO FUN. To this day, it is one of our most talked-about dinner club experiences, probably because a) hands-on is exciting, and b) the gnocchi was truly like little baby pillows of heavenly bliss. I don’t think we’ll ever not talk about it as one of our best-ever dinner club nights (our entire spread with multiple sauces, salad, and homemade bread is pictured at the beginning of this post).
So make gnocchi, and have a party while doing it. That’s just what you gotta do. Are you ready?
How To Make Homemade Gnocchi
1
Boil, peel, and grate potatoes.
I prefer russet potatoes for gnocchi! And all you need to grate them is a standard box grater.
2
Add flour and ricotta.
Add flour and ricotta to the center of your cooled potato pile. I like to use Tipo 00 flour because it’s extra fine and soft.
3
Add salt and egg.
Add salt and an egg to your fancy dough piles. Whisk it up, starting in the center.
4
Mix and knead.
Switch to your hands. Mix/knead until just combined.
5
Form into a loaf.
Form it into a smooth rectangular loaf that’s about one inch thick.
6
Make your gnocchi!
Cut the load into even slices about 1/2 inch wide, roll them into ropes, and then slice into bite-sized pieces. Toss the gnocchi pieces into flour to prevent sticking.
7
Boil the gnocchi and serve!
Add the gnocchi to a pot of boiling water. When they rise to the top, remove ’em with a slotted spoon. Top with your favorite sauce (preferably this short rib ragu) and devour!
If you’re looking for even more help, here is a full tutorial from DeLallo. This is where/how I learned and their tutorial is a bit more thorough and arguably more professional than mine, so check that out.
Recipes To Make With Gnocchi
If I’m hosting (aka making the big batch of gnocchi dough), let’s be honest – I don’t want to also be making a super complicated sauce off to the side. In that case, I recommend this Shortcut Short Rib Ragu (easy – and that’s what’s in the pictures).
Here are a few other gnocchi recipe favorites that work well with this homemade gnocchi:
- Gnocchi with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
- Cauliflower Orange Gnocchi
- Three Cheese Baked Gnocchi
- Millionaire Gnocchi with Red Sauce
Best Tips For Making Homemade Gnocchi
In my time making homemade gnocchi, I have a few tips to share that can really level up your gnocchi game!
- Fixing Watery Potatoes: If your grated potatoes seem overly watery, place them on a clean towel or paper bag to help absorb the moisture.
- Don’t Add Flour While Needing: The flour is best added at the very beginning, and dusting at the end. If you add flour while kneading, it will make the gnocchi tough.
- Shake Off Flour Before Boiling: For best results, shake off the flour before adding to the boiling water!
- Boil The Gnocchi Within 30 Minutes: If you wait too long after slicing the gnocchi into pieces, they will start to stick together.
Homemade Gnocchi
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 (generally 1 potato per person is the rule of thumb) 1x
Description
Homemade Gnocchi! Start making your very best fresh Italian at home. Serve it for dinner with sauces and toppings and you’ve got a party!
Ingredients
- 4 russet potatoes (2 1/2 lbs)
- 2 1/2 cups flour + 1/2 cup extra for work surfaces as needed (we use DeLallo Tipo 00 flour)
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 heaping teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Cook Potatoes: Add potatoes to a pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook for about 20 minutes. Remove from water and let cool on towels to absorb excess moisture.
- Peel and Grate Potatoes: Remove the peels. Grate potatoes finely using a box grater (or, ideally, a potato ricer).
- Mix Dough: Mound potatoes on a clean work surface. Add flour, then ricotta, then egg, then salt. Whisk with a fork, starting in the center and working your way out. It will get crumbly.
- Knead Dough: Use your hands to gently bring the mixture together into a smooth dough. Don’t overmix it and don’t overflour it!
- Gnocchify: Form into a loaf. Cut the loaf into slices. Roll each slice into a rope. Cut rope into small pieces.
- Boil: Dust the small pieces with flour to prevent sticking. Working in batches, add the gnocchi to a pot of boiling water. When they rise to the top, remove with a slotted spoon. I usually put em in a bowl and toss with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.
- Serve: Serve with sauce!
Notes
If grated potatoes look watery, place them on a clean towel or on paper bags to absorb the moisture. Keep in mind that potatoes do start to turn brown (oxidize) as they sit out, so don’t do this step TOO far ahead of time.
You can also add fork indentations to your gnocchi which gives them a fun texture and helps the sauce stick to them better. Just gently press the fork into the uncooked gnocchi pieces before boiling.
The best time to add flour is at the beginning and end. Don’t add too much flour while kneading, otherwise it will be tough.
Boil the gnocchi within 30-45 minutes of cutting it up, otherwise they will all stick together (BEEN THERE).
Shake off excess flour before boiling for best results!
- Prep Time: 60 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: homemade gnocchi, gnocchi recipe, easy gnocchi recipe
Frequently Asked Questions About Making Homemade Gnocchi
You can add fork indentations to your gnocchi which gives them a fun texture and helps the sauce stick to them better. Just gently press the fork into the uncooked gnocchi pieces before boiling.
This is one recipe that I do not recommend making in advance if you can help it. You should boil the gnocchi within 30-45 minutes of cutting it up, otherwise they will stick together. And they can stick together even more after cooking, before the sauce is added.
Overall, this is a recipe that’s best to make fresh for the best results!
What I love about using Tipo 00 is that it makes the gnocchi SUPER soft and pillowy. You can use all-purpose flour in place of it, but they’ll be a little more dense (but still delicious!).
I’ve never tried a dairy-free alternative to the ricotta, so I can’t say for sure what would work. Possible a plant-based ricotta would work in a pinch, and I’d love to hear how it goes if you give it a try!
Otherwise, I’d recommend trying this cauliflower gnocchi instead, which is dairy-free!
I love how boiling the gnocchi makes it more pillowy, but you can definitely fry up in a pan instead if you prefer. It will make it a little denser and chewier!
Thank you to DeLallo for sponsoring this recipe!
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our easy Italian-inspired recipes page. Check it out!
Wow, this gnocchi recipe looks amazing! The step-by-step photos are super helpful. I can’t wait to try making it at home. Thanks for sharing such a delicious and detailed post!
I just tried this gnocchi recipe and it turned out amazing! The step-by-step photos were super helpful, especially for a beginner like me. Thanks for sharing such a delicious and fun recipe! Can’t wait to make it again!
My girls (2yrs and 3yrs) love gnocchi. I love this recipe. But I don’t always have time to do all the dough work with a busy household. Is there a way to freeze these before they’re cooked and do they hold up ok?
Yep, definitely! I’d start with freezing on a sheet pan so they don’t touch, and then you can put them in a bag all together (this will help keep them from sticking/freezing together).
I made these and they were delish. Will definitely make again.
Made these yesterday for Sunday dinner. They were amazing!! My daughter said “Ma, you just can’t get food like this in a restaurant, okay maybe in Italy”. Brought a tear to my eye ♥
So sweet! I love that!
Hi there, I just made these and they are super YUM! Question: any idea if they freeze well. Or how long they stay good in the fridge for? Thank you!
Super easy to follow recipe and the narratives help. Looking forward to making these again and improving my technique each time.
Definitely helped to let the potato’s dry and cool on a clean towel as to not have ‘gummie’ gnocchis. Highly recommend. Thank you!
Awesome, Katie! So glad to hear this post was helpful!
I think it’s really important to note here that your cooked potatoes should be very tender on the inside. My russet potatoes were on the larger side and I boiled for 25 to 30 minutes uncovered. I think it should have been closer to 40 minutes because the interiors of my potatoes were still firm and the grated potato texture was not as fluffy as you’d want for gnocchi. My gnocchi turned out lumpy with some al dente potato for sure. My first time making gnocchi, so just putting here so others can learn from my mistakes. I would insert a knife into the potato to make sure there is little to no resistance before you pull them out of the boiling water. 🙂
Thank you for this recipe! I made these last night and they were fantastic! This is the closest I’ve come to the gnocchi my Nonna makes – most other recipes I’ve tried are heavy and claggy. These are perfection.
This is so special, Carmen! Thanks for sharing! ❤️
I like the music 🎶
This looks delicious. I’ll be making it tomorrow :)! Is there anyway to refrigerate or freeze any possible extras?
Yep! It should work to freeze any extra gnocchi before you cook it. 🙂
Can I not use the ricotta and make this recipe?
We’re guessing that should work.
Thank you. This is a really good recipe and will now be my go-to. The ricotta was an excellent addition. I used it in conjunction with the sauce below. It is a family favourite.
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipe/gnocchi-pancetta-spinach-parmesan-cream
Glad to hear you enjoyed the gnocchi, Benjamin!
Do you need to add the ricotta or can the recipe still be used without it?
We haven’t tried this without the ricotta yet, but it should work okay.
My mom and I made these today, and oh my gosh are they delicious. We cooked four just to test them out. They are soft, fluffy and they melt in your mouth. We are making them tonight for dinner with a browned butter sage sauce.
My mother who has made gnocchi many times really loved this recipe.
Thank you for sharing!
🎉
Hello,
If I only have a fourth a cup of ricotta cheese what can I substitute or join with it?
We haven’t tested this out yet, but you could try using a bit of cream cheese instead.
Great quarantined activity/ lunch.
💯
Can you subtitute ricotta cheese with cream cheese?
We haven’t tried that before, but it could work. Let us know how this goes for you, Nisa!
Love this recipe but it makes SO much!! whats a good way to store the leftover gnocchi?
You could freeze any that you don’t cook.
Loved it. Boiled the gnochhi in chicken broth and then pan fried it in olive oil with garlic, cooked bacon pieces and sauted mushrooms garnish with parmesan and then spooned over some jar alfredo sauce…off the hook, thanks
Sounds delicious!
I used sweet potatoes for my gnocchis instead and they were a nice orange colour. It was delicious 🙂
Love that idea, Chanele!
Doing this exact thing this weekend. So excited I found this. Can I make the dough a day ahead and refrigerate then roll it out with guests.
Yay! Sounds like fun, Kristin! We think that should work to prep it ahead of time and roll it out with guests. 😊
Can you freeze or refrigerate the Gnocchis so you don’t have to be stuck in the kitchen the day of the party
Hi, Charlie! Yep, we think it could work to freeze the gnocchi until you’re ready to enjoy it! 🙂
Should these be frozen before cooking to save for later?
Yep, we’d suggest freezing before cooking. 🙂
I have been trying to sign-up for the newsletter, the system says it is sending a confirmation link to my email address. I have checked many times and also checked my spam folder – nothing. What’s up???
Hi, Ann! Sorry to hear this isn’t working for you. You can email us at hello@pinchofyum.com and we can look into the issue further for you. 😊
I cannot believe how well this turned out! I grew up in an area with a large Italian community and amazing Italian restaurants. I’ve since moved away and I miss those great restaurants. I had very low expectations that this would even come close but it was so so good! The directions were easy to follow and this was such a hit!
So happy to hear this, Sara!