Tips for Making Gnocchi
Gnocchi are soft Italian dumplings that are often made with potatoes. Extremely versatile, gnocchi are delicious tossed with the same sauces used for pasta, such as tomato sauces, cream sauces, pesto, meat sauces, or simply browned butter and sage.
These tips will help you create perfect gnocchi:
Use starchy potatoes such as russets. Other potato varieties lack the proper starch and moisture content needed to produce delicate gnocchi with a light, soft texture.
Pass the cooked potatoes through a potato ricer, which treats them gently and aerates the potato flesh. Do not use a food processor, which would produce a gummy texture.
When preparing the dough, add just enough flour to form a firm but moist dough. Work quickly and handle the dough as little as possible to avoid a dense result.
After cutting the gnocchi, roll them on a gnocchi ridger or press one side of each piece against the tines of a fork to make indentations. These ridges help the sauce cling to the surface of the gnocchi.
Cook gnocchi in a large pot of boiling salted water until they rise to the surface. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the gnocchi to a warmed bowl or to a pan with the sauce.
If not serving the gnocchi immediately, transfer them to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking, then drain and refrigerate.