Homemade Potato Gnocchi Recipe Just 4 Ingredients

Simply make a dough, roll and boil!

Potato gnocchi has just a few easy to find ingredients and, while it takes a bit of time, it’s not difficult to make. This particular gnocchi recipe is one I learned attending classes at our local culinary school and have made it ever since.

What Is Gnocchi?

Gnocchi is an Italian homemade pasta that resembles a little dumpling. At its most basic level, it’s made with potato, egg, and flour. Several regions in Italy have their own variations with combinations of ricotta cheese, herbs, or spinach, the possibilities are endless.

Shaping Gnocchi

The dough is rolled into ropes and cut into pieces. Each rope of dough is about 1/2″ to 3/4″ thick and then cut into 1/2″ pieces. The gnocchi dough is soft and delicate, so be gentle when working with it.

Once cut into pieces, roll each gnocchi along the back of a fork to create ridges (you can purchase a gnocchi board but unless you make gnocchi frequently, a fork works just fine).

The purpose of creating ridges is to help the gnocchi “grab” the sauce it is mixed with.

How To Make Gnocchi

It’s really simple to make these pillowy little dumplings.

Mix all the ingredients together except flour. Add flour a little at a time, until dough forms.
After “resting” the dough, roll it out into long “ropes,” and cut per recipe instructions.
Use a gnocchi board or even just a fork to create ridged pasta!

Tips for Perfection

Boil your potatoes but drain them very well. Baked potatoes work in this recipe too.
Leftover mashed potatoes aren’t ideal as they have other additives such as cream etc that will affect the consistency of your dough.
Ensure the potatoes are perfectly smooth once mashed
Add just enough flour to make a dough, excess flour can make tough gnocchi
Don’t overwork the dough, these should be soft and pillowy. Use a delicate touch.

How To Cook Gnocchi

It takes just a few minutes to cook potato gnocchi!

Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
Gently add pasta and wait until it floats to the top (about 90 seconds).
Transfer to a skillet with a bit of butter/olive oil and sauce if you’re using one. Toss the gnocchi and serve.

It’s that simple!

How To Serve It

It can be served as a soup, side dish, or as the first course in a full Italian-style meal! For a very special experience, gnocchi can be served as the primo, or first course, in a full Italian meal consisting of several courses.

Sauces for Gnocchi:

Serve it with butter, parmesan, and fresh herbs
A simple marinara sauce
Homemade pesto
Baked into a gnocchi casserole
Topped gnocchi with a creamy mushroom sauce

Of course, it’s always a treat to have homemade pasta as a side dish with chicken, beef, or fish!

More Perfect Pasta

Baked Gnocchi Casserole
Roasted Vegetable Lasagna
Caprese Pasta Salad
Pasta Primavera
Cheese Cannelloni

You can’t go wrong with homemade potato gnocchi! No matter how you choose to serve it up, there is one thing you can count on: you won’t have any leftovers!