This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
The traditional Italian homemade gnocchi are light, fluffy, they melt in your mouth and you can actually taste the potatoes. If you want to make chunkier ones you can watch the video below to see the difference.
What are fluffy gnocchi
Homemade fluffy gnocchi are very different from the ones already made which tend to have too much flour because they have to last longer on the shelf. My husband calls them lead balls.
Also, some recipes use eggs, I don’t. My homemade gnocchi are suitable for vegans. They still have that firm consistency, but without the egg, the taste of the potato prevail.
They are not difficult to make, you just need to follow some simple rules and you will have the most delicious and versatile base dish you can serve with a multitude of sauces.
Here I make the simple and most commonly used gnocchi sauce, which are seasoned with sage and butter, you can use any other sauce depending on how you plan to eat your gnocchi.
Sauces you can use
You can serve gnocchi in 3 different ways:
- As a main dish: use sauces with meat like Ragu for example. My favourite ragu to serve with gnocchi is Lamb ragu. For main dish gnocchi I rather use chunkier gnocchi and you can find the recipe here
- As a side dish: like potatoes served as a side dish for meat or fish. You can simply flavour the gnocchi with some herbs and butter.
- As a starter: in Italy this is what we would call Primo Piatto, like pasta or risotto. You can use any pasta sauce you like. For a special meal I use truffles. We usually have it as a starter for our Christmas lunch.
My Secret
To make fluffy and light homemade gnocchi I have 1 special secret, keep the flour in the dough to a minimum.
For 1 kilo of potatoes, I use around 100 / 120 gr ( 1 cup) of flour not more (plus 3 tsp of salt).
Once the potatoes are mashed and completely cold I add only 100 gr (3/4 cup) of flour and I add more only if necessary.
Tricks for making them fluffy
Unfortunately, there is an undesirable consequence for not adding too much flour to the dough, humidity.
Once the gnocchi are ready on the tray and you try to pour them in the boiling water, they will be stuck to the tray and mash as soon as you touch them.
Any humidity in your kitchen will soften the gnocchi, they will soak the vapour from your boiling pot of water while they are laying on the table before they reach the pot.
To avoid this problem I make sure that:
- Once I shape the gnocchi I put them on a well-floured tray and add more flour on top.
- I make sure the kitchen is well aired and does not have too much humidity.
- I don’t let them rest for too long, usually, I make them only 1-hour max 2 hours ahead, no more.
Time-saving tricks
Have you noticed that my gnocchi do not have an indentation? They do not need it.
The indentation helps the sauce stick to the gnocchi, but because my gnocchi do not have a lot of flour they absorb the sauce anyway. They are smaller and soft and will melt in your mouth.
But if you like the shape and have time on your hands, use a fork and add the indentation.
Cooking them
The gnocchi are cooked in hot salted boiling water, but they do not get drained like pasta or vegetables.
Once cooked they float in the boiling water, you can then remove them with a strainer ladle.
That is why it does not matter how much flour you are pouring over the shaped gnocchi to keep them loose on the tray.
The four will drop to the bottom of the boiling water, and when you drain the gnocchi with the ladle the flour will remain at the bottom of the pot.
Choosing the Potatoes
Use old big potatoes with thick skin that are rich in starch and don’t have too much water. Choose potatoes for mash like Russets, Yukon golds, Desiree in France Amandine, Chérie or Pompadour.
Top tips
Follow the recipe below and remember:
Dos:
- Boil the potatoes with their skin for max 20 minutes
- When making the dough add just enough flour until the dough is smooth
- Once the gnocchi are ready, cover the prepared gnocchi with a lot of flour so they will not stick to the tray
Don’ts:
- Don’t peel the potatoes before boiling them
- Don’t use a blender to mash them otherwise they will become waxy
- Wait until the mashed potatoes are completely cold before adding the flour to make the dough
Making them chunkier
If you want to use a rich sauce, you can make chunkier gnocchi by adding some semolina flour in the mix.
Here you can find the recipe for chunkier homemade Italian gnocchi with cherry tomatoes sauce.
You will find it also in the video below.
Fancy type of gnocchi
If you want to make something very special, you can mix other vegetables to the potatoes and change the colour and flavour.
Here I mixed some cooked chestnuts.
Other vegetables often used are with sweet potatoes, squash, and why not trying with pumpkin.
You can experiment what you fancy, on 1 kilo of potatoes substitute 100 gr with your favourite vegetable. Though make sure it is a dry vegetable otherwise you will have to add too much flour.
I will give to pumpkin gnocchi flavoured with cinnamon a try and I promise to get back to you with some results before Thanksgiving.
Happy homemade gnocchi making !
Here it is, and you can find the recipe here: Pumpkin Gnocchi With Cinnamon and Brown Butter
Looking forward to hearing your fluffy gnocchi experience in the comments below. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram or sign up to my newsletter.
Light and Fluffy Italian Homemade Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 4 large potatoes
- 1 cup flour
- salt & pepper
For a simple sauce
- 1/2 cup butter
- 10 sage leaves
Instructions
- Clean the potatoes making sure all earth is removed
- Boil 1 kilo of potatoes in salted water for 20 minutes
- Strain off the water and while the potatoes are still hot pass through the strainer, I use kitchenaid vegetables strainer
- If you don't have a vegetable strainer, peel the potatoes while still hot and mash them with a fork or a potato masher
- Let the mashed potatoes cool down completely
- Add only 100 gr of flour and the salt, mix and add more flour only if necessary
- Once the dough has a nice consistency, roll it and cut the gnocchi into shape
- Spread them on well floured tray and cover with flour so they do not stick to the tray and to each others
- Boil them in salted water and when they start floating remove them from the water with a strainer ladle
- Pour the cooked gnocchi in a pan and mix them with the sauce of your choice. Here I mix it with butter and sage
Video
Notes
- Keep the flour in the dough to a minimum, add more only if necessary.
- Once I shape the gnocchi I put them on a well-floured tray and add more flour on top.
- I make sure the kitchen is well aired and does not have too much humidity.
- I don't let them rest for too long, usually, I make them only 1-hour max 2 hours ahead, no more.
- Use old big potatoes with thick skin that are rich in starch and don't have too much water.
- Don'ts:
- Don't peel the potatoes before boiling them
- Don't use a blender to mash them otherwise they will become waxy
- Wait until the mashed potatoes are completely cold before adding the flour to make the dough
Nutrition
Recipes you might also like
Check out my Gnocchi category for more updates
Great tutorial Laura, I tried to make my own gnocchi only once and my dough was far too soft, I’ll try your method and see how I manage
Let me know, looking forward to your photos
I love gnocchi! I’m going to have to try your recipe.
Thank you Kathryn, let me know how it goes
Looks great! I’ve always been so intimidated by gnocchi!
Thanks, you shouldn t be
Can you post your results from the pumpkin cinnamon gnocchi!?
Certainly, on my to-do list
Well, after watching your video, I think I finally have the courage to give gnocchi a try! Love your new video! I may give them both a try!
That would make me so happy Beth. I made it thinking of you, they are very easy to make.
Thank you! Was looking for a fix to my gnocci which had come out far too chewy. I’ve found my answer here (way too much flour) and will be making better gnocci going forward.
I am delighted to hear. Let me know how it goes
Hi. Up above you contradict yourself. Do you wait for mashed potatoes to cool before adding flour or no? Thanks!!!
Mk
Hello, you should mash the potatoes while they are still hot, but they have to be at room temperature when you add the flour. Hope that helps