Authentic Italian Homemade Potato Gnocchi

Baking the Potatoes 

1. Start by poking the potatoes all over using a fork. Place them in a preheated 400°F oven for about an hour. After this, the skins should be crisp and the interior should easily pierce with a knife. This process dries out the potato, so you have to use less flour!
2. Remove the skin with a clean cloth. This will allow more steam to escape. Less steam means less moisture, and less moisture means lighter, fluffier gnocchi. 

Making the Gnocchi 

1. Pass the potatoes through the fine holes of a cheese grater (or a potato ricer). Once the potatoes are grated down to fluffy little bits- they will look like cauliflower rice.
2. Weigh potatoes on a digital scale to get 450 grams or 1 pound. It is important to weigh your potatoes since they vary so much in size/weight.
3. Sift (1/4 cup) at a time of all-purpose flour and salt across the potatoes. Gently toss with a fork to incorporate. Add more flour little by little. You may not need all the flour if the potatoes are drier, or you may need to add a little more if they retained more water. Before adding the egg the dough will be crumbly. 
4. Add one beaten egg and the parmigiano cheese- spread evenly across the potato and flour mixture (1 beaten egg for every 450 grams of potato). 
5. Bring the potatoes, flour, and egg into a ball of dough by using a bench scraper (or the desired tool- a fork works just as well). Mix gently to make sure the egg and flour are evenly distributed. Start using your hands to press it into one cohesive mass.
6. Once the mass has formed, start kneading for about 90 seconds. A phrase to remember is “no need to over knead, if you are gentle they will be tender. You still need to knead until it is a solid mass, but just don’t go crazy. Once the dough is smooth and no egg or flour streaks remain cover the dough with a cloth and let it rest for about 15 minutes. 

Shaping the Gnocchi

1. Divide the dough ball into 8-10 sections. Sift some all-purpose flour onto a work surface and roll each piece of dough into a 1” thick rope. Press down any uneven spots until it is an even rope.
2. Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut into little 1-inch dumplings or into the desired size.
3. For a classic gnocchi shape, press down against the tines of a fork using your thumb down and across the fork, or use a gnocchi board.
4. Once all of the dough has been cut and shaped into the desired gnocchi shape, place it onto a rimmed baking sheet and cover it with a light dusting of all-purpose flour.
5. For non-immediate cooking, place in a freezer to solidify for 1 hour, then scrape off and place in a bag and back into the freezer. They freeze great! For immediate use, cook with one of the suggested sauces.

Cooking Instructions:

1. Cooking is just like fresh pasta. Bring a large pot of water to boil, salt it well, then scoot in your frozen or fresh gnocchi. Occasionally give them a gentle stir, but otherwise, let them boil. Once they float to the surface of the water, you know they’re ready. Use a slotted spoon and lift them out of the water and onto a serving dish then top with your favorite sauce!
2. I recommend cooking 5 tester gnocchi before baking the whole batch. These are your testers to make sure the consistency is right.
3. RESCUE METHOD: If for some reason they melt into the water you can gather the dough into a ball again and incorporate more flour to firm them.