Gnocchi are surprisingly easy to make...once you've mastered them a few times that is. The texture and taste of homemade gnocchi is far superior to the pre-made stuff, hence the title: 'pillows of love'.
It is important to use floury potatoes like russets when making the gnocchi as the dough needs to be light and airy. I did try using Yukon potatoes once and the gnocchi was more like 'pillows of lead'.
I made the pesto using a very sharp, good quality kitchen knife instead of a mortar and pestle and I much preferred the results. The pesto takes about 15 minutes to chop in which time I'm totally intoxicated by the smell of the young, sweet basil (which has been sprouting enthusiastically from my window box).
What follows are step-by-step photos and instructions to help you make fresh pesto and homemade gnocchi. Bear in mind, that gnocchi is one of those hit and miss affairs rather like souffles. Their success is dependant on a whole range of factors including the type of potatoes used, the consistency of the mashed potato (don't over mash) and the quickness with which you work.
Here are some quick tips:
- Use russet potatoes
- Boil them with their skins on
- Remove the potatoes one by one from the boiled water and peel them straight away
- Quickly mash them with a fork or put them through a ricer while they are still hot. Don't over mash them.
- Let them cool for 10 minutes but no longer
- They should still be fluffy when you mix the egg and flour with them
Pesto Genovese Recipe
Adapted from 101 Cooks
1 large bunch of young sweet basil, stems removed
2 medium cloves of garlic
1-2 tbs of raw pine nuts
3/4 cup of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (Parmesan) or Pecorino
Good quality extra virgin olive oil
Juice from a quarter of a lemon
A sharp, good-quality kitchen knife
Method:
Step 1: Chop the garlic with 1/3 of the basil leaves until the ingredients are loosely combined. Add more basil and continue to chop. Add the rest of the basil and chop until the garlic and basil leaves are quite fine.
Step 2: Add half of the pinenuts and chop. Add the rest of the pinenuts and continue to chop. Add the Parmesan and chop. Add the rest of the Parmesan and chop. Scrape and chop the ingredients to combine them well.
Step 3: Make sure that the ingredients are chopped so finely that they can be molded into a little cake. Place the pesto into a small bowl and add 1 tbs of good quality extra virgin olive oil. Cover and place in refrigerator until you're ready to use it.
Just prior to serving it with the gnocchi, place about 2 tbs of pesto into a large mixing bowl and add about 2 tbs of extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice. Place sautéed gnocchi in the bowl and swish around to coat it. Serve immediately. *See below for gnocchi instructions.
Step-by-step Instructions for Making Gnocchi
2 large russet potatoes, halved
1 extra large organic egg, beaten
Scant cup of unbleached all-purpose flour
Sea salt (for potato water)
Method:
Place potatoes in a pot of cold, salted water. Boil for about 40 minutes or until soft. Remove potatoes one by one with a slotted spoon and quickly peel them. Mash the potatoes with a with a fork and ensure there are no lumps. I usually push the potatoes through a ricer. Just don't over mash them so they are too smooth. They should be light and fluffy. Let them cool for about 10 minutes.
Step 1: Shape potatoes into a mound with a well in the middle. Pour the egg into the well and sprinkle on 3/4 of the flour.
Step 2: Using a metal cutter, mix the flour, potato and egg by gently chopping and scraping the ingredients together. Chop, scrape, chop, scrape until the ingredients are roughly combined. The dought should be moist but not sticky. If they are too sticky then sprinkle on the remaining 1/4 of flour.
Step 3: Lightly flour the work surface and then gently roll the dough several times with a very light touch. You don't want to over mix the dough. It should feel light and airy.
Step 4: Place the dough on a clean surface and cut about 8 logs.
Step 5: On a floured surface, gently roll each log so that it's about 2cm (2/3 inch) thick.
Step 6: Using the cutter, cut off 1/2 inch or smaller pieces. Mark the gnocchi with a fork by lightly but quickly rolling them down the inside of the fork's prongs. This reduces the bulk of the gnocchi and makes little grooves to catch the sauce.
Step 7: Bring some salted water to the boil. Have a non-stick pan ready, on medium heat, with 1 tsp of butter next to the boiling water. Place the gnocchi in batches into the boiling water. Remove them with a slotted spoon as soon as they float to the top and then sauté them in the butter for about 50 seconds or until they brown slightly.
Place the browned gnocchi into the waiting bowl of pesto and gently swish around to coat. Serve immediately.
If you want a bit of a different take on the pesto, have a look at my macadamia nut pesto recipe.
Oooooh Syrie, your gnocchi looks sooo good. I had the best gnocchi recently in Florence, Italy, OMG, they were sooooo tender, smooth, and just melted in my mouth. And whatever sauce they were using, greeny color but yours but a lot thicker, with a langostine. It was heaven!
I've never had gnocchi this good, really. But yours looks so tender and delish I wish I would taste them.
Posted by: Rasa Malaysia | 06 July 2008 at 10:43 AM
Thanks for the step-by-step. I've never tried making them before, nor even entertained the thought of making them because I knew I just couldn't pull them off. Yours look so fluffy! Wonderful.
Posted by: [eatingclub] vancouver || js | 06 July 2008 at 04:01 PM
I always hand chop my pesto too. Some people think I'm crazy but I think it just tastes better
Posted by: Alex | 06 July 2008 at 05:28 PM
I have never done gnocchi at home but this looks easy enough, I'm not sure why I haven't.
For getting the lumps out I'll probably use the cheap food mill I have at home. Pretty much the only thing I really use it for is getting my mashed potatoes super, super creamy and un-lumpy so I'm sure it will do the trick just fine.
Posted by: TastyNewEngland | 06 July 2008 at 10:47 PM
syrie, i love making my own gnocchi too. once you've made homemade - one never goes to the store bought stuff - like puff pastry lol!
Posted by: Meeta | 07 July 2008 at 04:10 AM
My boyfriend and I tried, unsuccessfully, to make gnocchi when we first started dating. I am sending him a link to this post; you have inspired me to try again!! They look lovely.
Posted by: Julia | 07 July 2008 at 10:44 PM
i've always been too intimidated to make my own gnocchi, but your photos are so helpful and beautiful! thanks for the recipe.
Posted by: Becky | 08 July 2008 at 03:54 AM
So I tried to make this last night and it didn't come out so well. The pesto was great - I had not hand chopped it before, but my gnocchi was slimy and many of them fell apart, so it kind of turned into a pesto mashed potato. I have zero experience with this so I'm not sure what my error was. Too much potato vs flour & egg? Over working the dough? Overcooking the pesto?
I froze some of them because the recipe made tons so maybe I can try cooking those and see what happens.
If anyone has an idea let me know!
Posted by: Jimmy | 08 July 2008 at 03:56 AM
Meant to say overcooking the gnocchi, not "overcooking the pesto"
Posted by: Jimmy | 08 July 2008 at 03:57 AM
OH MY...fabulous looking and so easy too!!! Thanks for taking the time to post the tutorial!
Posted by: Michelle | 08 July 2008 at 04:27 AM
I simply love gnocchi! Yours looks much better than mine. Although I have posted my recipe for "Gnocchi for Big Bear" . . . Big Bear is my BF . . . on my website (MySpace) I think that I will have to change it after reading your method.
thanks for sharing.
Posted by: therealchiffonade | 08 July 2008 at 04:34 AM
Um, genius.
Posted by: Malinda Kay Nichols | 08 July 2008 at 05:06 AM
Thanks Bee! Your Florentine gnocchi sounds amazing. I hope you can replicate it for us!
Thanks eating club. Hope you get to try them out.
I have to agree with you Alex. I much prefer it to pesto that too pulpy. Thanks for visiting.
Hi Tasty New England. I think a miller would to the trick but remember not to over mash them. They need to be light and fluffy. This is really important! Thanks for visiting.
I hear you Meeta although I'm lucky to buy my pastry from a pie shop so it's always really buttery and light.
Hi Julia, well at least it didn't spell the end of the relationship! good luck and I look forward to hearing about it!
Good luck Becky. Hope it goes well! Thanks for stopping by.
No worries Michelle, Thanks for taking the time to visit!
I'll check out your recipe Chiffonade. Love the name! Thanks for stopping by.
Oh Malinda, you're too kind!
Posted by: Syrie | 08 July 2008 at 07:01 AM
Jimmy has given me permission to post our email exchange.
- Syrie -
Jimmy, Thanks for trying out the gnocchi recipe and I'm sorry to hear it didn't work out.
I have added some tips to the post. The success of gnocchi is also dependant on things like the speed at which work and even the humidity. My first few attempts at making gnocchi weren't very happy ones.
Again I'm sorry it didn't work out and I do hope you give it another go. Syrie
- Jimmy -
It’s no big deal! I just want to learn the error of my ways. I followed your instructions on russet potatoes and did boil them with the skins on. One thing – I used three medium sized russets because the grocery store didn’t have the super large ones I frequently see. This is why I was curious if maybe I had too much potato vs flour. It was fairly sticky so that could be it. Also, after I mashed the potatoes I let them sit for about 30 minutes before I shaped them. Could that affect it?
Lastly, I didn’t remove the gnocchi immediately after they floated – would waiting another minute to 90 seconds affect it like that?
I really enjoy your blog and thanks for the tips here. It really helps me learn. I definitely will give it another try; they’re too good not to. -Jimmy
- Syrie -
Hey Jimmy, I'm going to actually include a gram measurement of the potatoes. I think you definitely had too much potato vs, flour. Also the mashed potato only needs to cool for 10 minutes and not 30. Same goes for the boiling of the gnocchi. They need to be removed from the water with a slotted spoon as soon as they float to the top.
This is all great feedback! Thanks again for visiting. Syrie
Posted by: Syrie | 08 July 2008 at 07:07 AM
I couldn't agree more with your title. Gnocchi aren't something you make for people you don't love.
Beautifully simple.
Posted by: Graeme | 08 July 2008 at 07:55 AM
Great post. I'm wondering why you set your chopped pesto ingredients aside and combine with the oil and lemon at the last minute?
Posted by: Tim | 08 July 2008 at 09:56 AM
Your gnocchi looks great! I have made gnocchi a few times. It is fairly easy though it takes a bit of time. It is well worth it!
Posted by: Kevin | 08 July 2008 at 12:13 PM
Oh Thank you! Especially for the step-by-step! My husband was sitting here next to me when we read this and he's run off to the store to get russet potatoes - we don't get them here in India, but he's decided to try!! Thanks again!
Posted by: arundathi | 08 July 2008 at 07:10 PM
Hi Arundathi. Thank you for visiting my blog Taste Buddies. Did you find some russets? Other floury potatoes will also do. Just stay away from really dense potatoes. I hope you find them! I love your blog. I will definitely be trying out the samosas. And your zebra cake - congratulations...it's insanely amazing. I got dizzy just looking at the swirls.
Thanks for visiting Kevin. I'll check out your gnocchi recipe too.
Thanks Tim! No particular reason with the oil but I like to squeeze in the juice last so it's at it's freshest.
Thanks Graeme. Pillows of love II to follow!
Posted by: Syrie | 09 July 2008 at 03:45 AM
Thanks for the instructions. Looks wonderful!
Posted by: Sookie's Kitchen | 09 July 2008 at 05:29 AM
Gnocchi and pesto are two of my favorite things in life, and yours look great!
Posted by: Paula | 09 July 2008 at 08:23 AM
Syrie, I love your step by step photos!
Homemade gnocchi is wonderful. And so is homemade pesto. I'll be trying the chopping method next time!
Posted by: Patricia Scarpin | 11 July 2008 at 12:52 AM
You have a nice blog...keep up the good job :)
Posted by: Sorina | 11 July 2008 at 04:21 AM
Yahrrrr. It's easy... After you've mastered it... Ha ha ha :) I've only had gnocchi once (in San Francisco) and it was heavenly. Maybe I should start making my own, too! Thanks for the instructions-- though potatoes only come in one nameless variety here. Gulp.
Posted by: manggy | 11 July 2008 at 12:26 PM
I do love gnocchi, but I haven't had much luck making them to date. I'll have to give your recipe a try. Great step-by-step photos by the way!
Posted by: Marc @ NoRecipes | 11 July 2008 at 10:51 PM
Love the blog and your pics! I always enjoy reading it. I just made a gnocchi with choux pastry for the first time and it was incredible. Come take a look if you have a chance and let me know what you think. http://cookingquest.wordpress.com
Thanks so much!
Joe
Posted by: Joe | 17 July 2008 at 11:56 PM
Looks magnificent! My boyfriend loves gnocchi...I should make this for him! Thank you!
Posted by: Hillary | 23 July 2008 at 06:16 AM
Hi I don't have a metal cutter I was just wondering what else I could use?
I'm going to attempt to make these heavenly things in the next week wish me luck!
Posted by: Steph | 22 April 2010 at 10:58 PM
Some of my favorite cooking show have raved for so long about gnocchi that I searched out a recipe I felt I could make. Your pictures and step-by-step made it possible and...oh, my, my! These are fantastic!
I didn't do the pesto, but made Pollo au Porto (chicken with port and mushroom sauce) -- http://www.chefponzio.com/recipes/chicken-with-mushrooms-and-port-wine. My whole family loved this match-up. That little perfect bite of a small bit of chicken, gnocchi, mushroom, with the port reduction in those gnocchi ridges...yummy!
I'm sure I'll get them to look prettier next time. It helped a lot for my twelve-year-old son to be the gnocchi bather while I kept rolling and cutting. So the gnocchi went from the cutting board to the boiling water immediately, and now my son has a new favorite!
Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Beth | 12 September 2010 at 01:34 PM