Instant Potato Gnocchi Recipe on Food52 (2024)

5 Ingredients or Fewer

by: Barbara Lynch

May10,2017

4

2 Ratings

  • Serves 4

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

I'm a curious person and have always wanted to push boundaries and experiment. Working with what my mother had in her kitchen at home, I began doctoring up canned food at age 13—from marinara sauce to clam chowder. You can make some really delicious (and unexpected) dishes out of inexpensive, packaged foods. You might think I'm crazy, but you can make pretty great gnocchi from instant potato flakes... don't knock it 'till you try it. —Barbara Lynch

  • Test Kitchen-Approved
Ingredients
  • 1 cupwater
  • 1 cupinstant potato flakes
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 cupsall-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoonsalt
  • Your favorite sauce, for serving
Directions
  1. Bring water to a boil. Add potato flakes. Allow the mixture to cool, then fold in egg, 1 cup of the flour, and salt. Using your fingers, combine all the ingredients. Knead the dough by pushing it away from you with the heel of your hand, folding it over, giving it a quarter turn, and pushing it away again. Continue kneading, sprinkling on a little more flour as needed, until the dough just forms a ball and feels a little bit sticky. Set the dough aside and clean the work surface of any hard bits of dough.
  2. Sprinkle the work surface lightly with flour. Roll the dough out with a rolling pin to about 1/2-inch thick. Use a bench scraper or knife to cut the dough into strips about 1/2-inch wide. Roll each strip under your hands to form a log and cut the logs into 1-inch pieces. If you like, you can give your gnocchi grooves. Shape the pieces into balls and roll them down a gnocchi board or fork.
  3. If you are not cooking the gnocchi right away, freeze them on a baking sheet or platter in a single layer until frozen solid. Once frozen, you can transfer them to a freezer bag or airtight container.
  4. Cook the gnocchi in boiling salted water until they float to the top, about 5 minutes. Drain well and serve with your favorite sauce.

Tags:

  • Pasta
  • American
  • Potato
  • 5 Ingredients or Fewer
  • Vegetarian
  • Entree

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Jocelyn McAuley

  • Jara

  • mrslarkin

  • Mamasays

  • Leith Devine

Popular on Food52

10 Reviews

Dana July 30, 2022

In order to create a pillowy gnocchi, the ingredients need to be adjusted. I used 1 egg plus one yolk, 3/4 cup flour (plus some for the rolling), and more salt. The dough should not be kneaded this much - it should be mixed just took it comes together. A rolling pin should not be used to form the roll, just use your hands to keep from compressing the mixture too much. I use semolina to dust them after forming.

Jocelyn M. June 15, 2022

My go to recipe for incorporating spring time nettles into our meals. Fantastic and easy.

PaigeFrank1 March 27, 2020

Just made this! An amazing recipe even though I forgot the salt, I had to make up for it in the sauce. Make sure you have enough space though!

Jara January 19, 2020

Made these with my nine year old son today. Started with only 1 cup flour and only the yolk of the egg. They came out pillowy and were a hit. Will make these again.

mrslarkin June 5, 2017

Made these yesterday with my mom. Super fun! Ours turned out a little tough, due to my dumping ALL the flour in at once. Will try them again.

Mamasays May 29, 2017

Could anyone advise on a brand?

Leith D. May 29, 2017

I don't think it matters. I use the brands that aren't preserved with sulfites, but that's just my preference.

Leith D. May 19, 2017

I've been doing this for years and no one has ever guessed! Don't overwork them or they get tough very quickly.

Linda M. May 19, 2017

I first learned of this in Italy from a chef...according to her, because it is a consistent product, you get consistent results. And it works like a dream. Just be sure to use a good quality product with no add ins.

Tania -. November 19, 2017

I'm so glad you recommended "no add ins", that is exactly what I was going to do (probably pumpkin or squash). Thanks!

Instant Potato Gnocchi Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

Is there a difference between gnocchi and potato gnocchi? ›

Unlike potato gnocchi, Roman gnocchi (Gnocchi alla romana), are made with semolina instead of potatoes and flour, that's why they are also called Semolina gnocchi. Roman gnocchi are shaped differently than potato gnocchi.

Why did my potato gnocchi turned to mush? ›

Your gnocchi may be mushy because of any or all of the following reasons: boiled the potatoes instead of baked them. used waxy new potatoes with too much moisture in them. not used eggs to help texture.

What is the difference between potato gnocchi and ricotta gnocchi? ›

Traditional potato gnocchi are made of potato bound together with flour and egg, whereas ricotta gnocchi replaces the potato with ricotta cheese. Because of ricotta's springy texture and the lack of potatoes, ricotta gnocchi has a lighter texture than potato gnocchi.

How to cook grocery store gnocchi? ›

Bring a large pot water to a boil; add 1 tablespoon salt. Add half of the gnocchi; when they rise to the top (after about 2 minutes), continue to cook until tender, about 15 seconds more.

Is gnocchi more unhealthy than pasta? ›

Nutritional Value

Believe it or not, regular pasta is actually more carb-heavy than gnocchi, coming in at around 2 times the amount of carbs per serving. Gnocchi is also notorious for having a lot more sodium, with over 200 grams of it per serving. Regular pasta doesn't have nearly as high of a sodium content.

What do Italians eat gnocchi with? ›

It can be sauced and served in typical pasta style or tossed with fresh veggies for a lighter dish. Gnocchi can be added to soups and stews, fried until crispy or roasted in the oven with meat and vegetables for a sheet pan dinner.

What should you not do when making gnocchi? ›

Don't overwork the dough: When making gnocchi dough, it's important not to overwork it. Overworking the dough can make the gnocchi tough and chewy. Mix the ingredients together just until the dough comes together, and then stop mixing! You're not kneading bread here.

Is it better to boil or bake potatoes for gnocchi? ›

The secret to the lightest, most tender potato gnocchi is to bake the potatoes instead of boiling them. A baked potato is dryer than one that has been boiled, which means you avoid having to add more flour to the dough to account for excess moisture, a practice that leads to over-kneaded, tough gnocchi.

Can you cook gnocchi in sauce instead of water? ›

A perfect quick and easy weeknight dinner recipe, the mini gnocchi is cooked directly in the vodka sauce, no pre-boiling necessary (which means less dishes for you!)

What are the 3 types of gnocchi? ›

Gnocchi alla zucca: Pumpkin gnocchi served with butter and cheese. Ndunderi: The Amalfi Coast specialty originally made with farro and curdled milk. Gnocchi alla Romana: Made with semolina and milk, this variety is shaped into squares and baked rather than boiled.

Which is healthier pasta or gnocchi? ›

pasta, neither is really the better option. Regular pasta is higher in protein and has small amounts of some nutrients, while gnocchi is lower in calories and carbohydrates. But because gnocchi is smaller and denser, it's likely that you'd end up eating bigger portions than if you were eating regular pasta.

What is gnocchi called in Italy? ›

In Venice, gnocchi is also known as "macaroni." Made from a base of flour, milk, and eggs cooked and shaped into little discs, they are baked in the oven with butter and cheese. It's an almost identical preparation to Lazio's famous gnocchi alla romana: round, flat discs of cooked and cooled semolina.

How do you jazz up store bought gnocchi? ›

After your gnocchi is cooked and drained, you can toss it with any sauce and/or vegetables you want. Store bought gnocchi is great with marinara, pesto, bolognese ragu, sun-dried tomato sauce – and this tomato-mushroom sauce, of course.

How do you make packaged gnocchi taste good? ›

So instead of boiling or baking a package of gnocchi on a Wednesday night and wishing it tasted more like the pillowy homemade version, I broil it. Yep, that's right: I rip open one of those shelf-stable packages, toss the gnocchi with a tablespoon of olive oil, a lot of grated Parmesan cheese and a little bit of salt.

Why is gnocchi so expensive? ›

does take a bit of time to make, not because the. ingredients are expensive. They're potatoes.

Is there different types of gnocchi? ›

In Piedmont, ravioles are a type of gnocchi made with cheese from the mountain, while chestnut flour and pumpkin gnocchi are called gnocchi ossolani. The term gnocchi also includes those made with semolina flour such as gnocchi alla romana or gnoches de gries.

Does potato gnocchi taste like potatoes? ›

The best homemade potato gnocchi are as light and airy as a down pillow and really do taste of potatoes. Once you've gotten the method down pat, they should take you no more than an hour to make.

Does potato gnocchi taste like pasta? ›

Its flavor is similar to that of regular pasta cooked. The difference is the addition of sauces and spices to create variations in taste. There's a bit of debate regarding the flavor of Gnocchi. Many will claim that it tastes like potatoes or perhaps like flour.

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