I have been wanting to try homemade gnocchi for a long time. I had a day off work and thought it would be the perfect time to experiment with potato gnocchi. There are many different recipes and techniques for making homemade potato gnocchi. I read several recipes and watched several videos before I just combined a little bit of everything to make my gnocchi. This was my first time, and I will make some changes the next time. I definitely have some work to do on my gnocchi. I love homemade pasta of any kind, but I will admit that homemade gnocchi is easier and faster. Here is what I did……..
First, I took about 4 medium sized red potatoes and baked them in the oven for about an hour. Next time, I will use baking potatoes. After I started working with my dough, I realized that the potato wasn’t entirely done, and the dough had random hard chunks throughout it. I think having the correct potato and adequate bake time would prevent the hard chunks.
Second, after removing the potatoes, I cut each potato in half lengthwise then scooped out the inside. At this point, you should run the potato through a ricer. So I don’t have a ricer, I thought I would just figure it out as I went. This is what I learned. The potatoes can’t just be mashed. They must be light and fluffy to make the gnocchi dough. Also, I believe that you really need a ricer to accomplish this texture. My solution was running all of my potatoes through my garlic press. I don’t recommend it. I am now in the market for a ricer.
Make a pile of the riced potatoes and make a small well in the middle. Beat two eggs and add to the well. Add about 2 cups of flour to the dough. Season with salt. Begin to fold together a dough. Knead dough until you have a smooth, soft dough mixture.
Put a medium pot of salt water on to boil. Cut the dough in half and roll out dough in long strand about 1/2 inch thick. Begin to cut the gnocchi is about 1/2 inch sections. Place them on parchment paper to dry a little. I let the gnocchi dry only about 10 to 15 minutes before placing the gnocchi in the boiling water. The gnocchi only needs to cook about 2 to 3 minutes, and it will float when fully cooked. I cooked the gnocchi in batches. Half of the gnocchi I served straight from the boiling water. The other half I placed straight into a fry pan with a little olive oil and let the gnocchi brown a little of both sides. This technique was inspired by Gordon Ramsay who will brown gnocchi to give it just a little bit of crunch.
I made homemade marinara sauce back in the summer with fresh tomatoes from the garden. I poured the fresh marinara over the gnocchi. Then I sprinkled crumbled, fried prosciutto over the top. I added mushrooms sautéed in butter and thyme. I also sprinkled freshly grated parmesan over the top.
I want to keep trying the potato gnocchi until I find the right combination before I post the exact gnocchi recipe. I need to make some improvements on my recipe. Overall, it was a good recipe. Enjoy!
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