# Hand Made Gnocchi



## Aromataste (Apr 21, 2014)

Hello folks, my name is Emilio and I'm new to this community.
As my 1st thread I would love to share with you my gnocchi recipe, as my mother taught me many years ago....
All you need is:
800g/1 kg potatoes 
1 egg
salt
About 350 gr flour
1 hour of time

The first thing to do is to prepare the potatoes: wash them and, without peeling them, put them in a pot with salted water and let them boil (for making potato gnocchi I recommend you use the floury potatoes red). When they became soft enough, still warm, peel them, mash them and put them on a well-floured worktop.
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





Add a pinch of salt, flour and knead until you obtain a firm but soft at the same time dough. 
 At this point add an egg and continue to knead until the dough is compact and without lumps.
Note that the amount of flour needed is very sensitive to the potatoes variety used, so if the mixture is still too sticky and wet add some other flour.
Now Divide the dough into balls the size of a fist, then start rolling them on the table to obtain the strands with a thickness of 2-3 centimetres.
Begin to cut your gnocchi and put them down on a surface or a floured tray.






To give gnocchi their typical shape, if you don't have a threaded board as the one shown in the picture, you can use a fork. Just press each gnocco on its back and let it rolling on it.

Let stand your gnocchi for 15 minutes, then cook them in a pot with enough salted boiling water and drain when they will rise to the surface.
Prepare the seasoning that you like and dress your gnocchi.

Enjoy your gnocchi!


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## pacanis (Apr 21, 2014)

Well written and displayed.
Thanks for the recipe.


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## callmaker60 (Apr 21, 2014)

Great post thanks for sharing, hope to see more of your pasta dishes.


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## CraigC (Apr 21, 2014)

Well thought out. Try baking the potatoes, peeling them while they are still very warm and then putting them through a ricer. I think you will find your end product will be much lighter.


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## CatPat (Apr 21, 2014)

Mamma does this! But she bakes the potatoes, as Craig suggested.

I'm not brave enough to try it alone yet.

With love,
~Cat


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## dcSaute (Apr 21, 2014)

pacanis said:


> Well written and displayed.
> Thanks for the recipe.



indeed.
ricette toscane - mangiardivino


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## Aromataste (Apr 22, 2014)

I'm very glad you like my recipe, if anyone try to follow it, please let me know the result!! Buon appetito!!


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## CarolPa (Apr 22, 2014)

I would also like to hear how you prepare them for serving.


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## Addie (Apr 22, 2014)

Welcome to DC. This is a fun place to be. Lots of laughs and plenty of help when needed.


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## CharlieD (Apr 23, 2014)

What is the "thread board" and what does it do to gnocchi?


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## Andy M. (Apr 23, 2014)

CharlieD said:


> What is the "thread board" and what does it do to gnocchi?




Charlie, the thread board is a wood paddle with deep grooves cut into it.  You roll each piece of pasta over the grooves with your thumb.  That puts grooves onto the pasta and an indentation from your thumb which hold the sauce on the individual gnocchi.


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## Roll_Bones (Apr 23, 2014)

Mash or rice the potato's?

Your description says to mash, yet the diagrams show a ricer being used.
I would think this would make a difference?
That a ricer is the best way to do it?


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## CharlieD (Apr 23, 2014)

Interesting, thank you. How come the commercially sold ones do not have them? Also I've seen the episode of Fabio Viviani's show and he did not do that. Is there reason he did not do that? Is it a traditional thing to make those groves in gnocchi? 
 Ukrainians make something similar and serve with sour cream sauce or put it into a soup, no grooves there either.
Just wondering?


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## CarolPa (Apr 23, 2014)

People who do not have a thread board just make the grooves with the tines of a fork.  Or you can make the gnocchi without the grooves.

http://www.amazon.com/SCI-Scandicrafts-Gnocchi-Board/dp/B002U9JTOC


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## pacanis (Apr 23, 2014)

Any commercially/storebought gnocchi I have purchased has had the grooves. Both frozen and fresh. Some are more pronounced than others.


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## CharlieD (Apr 23, 2014)

Interesting. I'm going to have to make a special trip to store just to check this out.


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## Addie (Apr 23, 2014)

Roll_Bones said:


> Mash or rice the potato's?
> 
> Your description says to mash, yet the diagrams show a ricer being used.
> I would think this would make a difference?
> That a ricer is the best way to do it?



Where did you see a ricer? What I saw was a large ladle with holes placing the finished product in the water. This instrument will also be used to remove them. There is no ricer in the pictorial.


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## Andy M. (Apr 23, 2014)

Addie said:


> Where did you see a ricer?...





First picture.


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## Addie (Apr 23, 2014)

Andy M. said:


> First picture.



Okay. I see it now. It doesn't stand out from the potatoes.


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## CarolPa (Apr 24, 2014)

I think each nationality has some type of potato dumplings, and gnocchi just happens to be the Italian version.  Gnocchi is the only one I have seen in retail grocery stores.  The others are mostly home-made in the various ethnic cuisines.  My Slovak MIL used to cook them and serve them with saurkraut mixed in.  There was probably a Slovak version that her mother used to make but she used the store-bought gnocchi rather than make them herself.  I never even heard of gnocchi until eating them at her house.  The teenagers all called them "nookies."  They thought us old people didn't know what that was.  LOL


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## Addie (Apr 24, 2014)

The Pirate's MIL used to put grated Parm or Romano cheese in her gnocchi. Her daughter made them for me (or at least tried) and they fell apart when she put them in the water to cook. She was still a new bride and they were living with me. Her family came from Naples, Italy and her mother and father were both great cooks. But with five daughters, they never taught any of them how to cook. Poor Pirate, he had to suffer through a lot of meals. Today, learning from his MIL, he is the cook in his family. And a great cook. Italian or American. He makes great gnocchi. DIL still hasn't learned how to make them.


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## Andy M. (Apr 24, 2014)

I've never made potato gnocchi.  An old girlfriend showed me how to make cheese gnocchi with ricotta and flour.  Those are pretty good.  I guess I should try the potato...


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## Addie (Apr 24, 2014)

Andy M. said:


> I've never made potato gnocchi.  An old girlfriend showed me how to make cheese gnocchi with ricotta and flour.  Those are pretty good.  I guess I should try the potato...



Ricotta cheese is definitely not on my best liked foods list. And I haven't the heart to tell my daughter. She is always sending me foods with ricotta in it. I give it to The Pirate to eat. The rest of the family is sworn to my secret.


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## cave76 (Apr 24, 2014)

CharlieD said:


> What is the "thread board" and what does it do to gnocchi?



"Ridges give gnocchi its traditional shape and ability to hold more pasta sauce"

Amazon.com: Fantes Cousin Lianas Italian Gnocchi Board: Kitchen & Dining


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## CWS4322 (Apr 24, 2014)

All this talk about gnocchi had me making some this morning. I decided to have Spring Vegetable and chcken soup with potato gnocchi for lunch. Question: to freeze the rest, do I cook them first, or freeze them and cook them when I want to eat them?


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## Andy M. (Apr 24, 2014)

Addie said:


> Ricotta cheese is definitely not on my best liked foods list...




Me too Addie.  I really dislike ricotta.  The beauty of the ricotta gnocchi is that the ricotta is mixed into the flour so it's not noticeable.


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## Mad Cook (Apr 24, 2014)

Aromataste said:


> Hello folks, my name is Emilio and I'm new to this community.
> As my 1st thread I would love to share with you my gnocchi recipe, as my mother taught me many years ago....
> All you need is:
> 800g/1 kg potatoes
> ...


Thanks for that, Emilio. I've never quite plucked up the courage to make my own gnocchi. Perhaps I will now.

Welcome to DC.


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## Mad Cook (Apr 24, 2014)

Andy M. said:


> Charlie, the thread board is a wood paddle with deep grooves cut into it. You roll each piece of pasta over the grooves with your thumb. That puts grooves onto the pasta and an indentation from your thumb which hold the sauce on the individual gnocchi.


Like this 
Amazon.com: Fantes Cousin Lianas Italian Gnocchi Board: Kitchen & Dining


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## Mad Cook (Apr 24, 2014)

Roll_Bones said:


> Mash or rice the potato's?
> 
> Your description says to mash, yet the diagrams show a ricer being used.
> I would think this would make a difference?
> That a ricer is the best way to do it?


Potatoes put through a ricer are mashed but not all mashed potatoes have been put through a ricer. The ricer just makes it easier to get smoother mashed potatoes.

Use whatever method you like best


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## Mad Cook (Apr 24, 2014)

cave76 said:


> "Ridges give gnocchi its traditional shape and ability to hold more pasta sauce"
> 
> Amazon.com: Fantes Cousin Lianas Italian Gnocchi Board: Kitchen & Dining


 Sorry Cave. have duplicated your post. I really should read to the end of the thread before answering.


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## cave76 (Apr 24, 2014)

Mad Cook said:


> Sorry Cave. have duplicated your post. I really should read to the end of the thread before answering.



Sright!  I was wondering if you had me on 'ignore this member'.


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## CharlieD (Apr 24, 2014)

I prefer farmers cheese. Ricotta IMHO, is OK to use as a filling maybe, but not to cook with it.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Discuss Cooking mobile app


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## CarolPa (Apr 24, 2014)

Addie said:


> The Pirate's MIL used to put grated Parm or Romano cheese in her gnocchi. Her daughter made them for me (or at least tried) and they fell apart when she put them in the water to cook. She was still a new bride and they were living with me. Her family came from Naples, Italy and her mother and father were both great cooks. But with five daughters, they never taught any of them how to cook. Poor Pirate, he had to suffer through a lot of meals. Today, learning from his MIL, he is the cook in his family. And a great cook. Italian or American. He makes great gnocchi. DIL still hasn't learned how to make them.



Smart girl she is!  She doesn't need to learn, she has him to do it!


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## CarolPa (Apr 24, 2014)

Addie said:


> Ricotta cheese is definitely not on my best liked foods list. And I haven't the heart to tell my daughter. She is always sending me foods with ricotta in it. I give it to The Pirate to eat. The rest of the family is sworn to my secret.




I love ricotta.  When I make lasagne I have to buy extra because I eat it right out of the carton.  It has to be Lamagna Ricotta, though.  That's a company that makes it in the Pittsburgh area.  I don't know what they do different but it tastes like dessert!  I have had some ricotta that was downright awful.


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## Andy M. (Apr 24, 2014)

CarolPa said:


> I love ricotta.  When I make lasagne I have to buy extra because I eat it right out of the carton.  It has to be Lamagna Ricotta, though.  That's a company that makes it in the Pittsburgh area.  I don't know what they do different but it tastes like dessert!  I have had some ricotta that was downright awful.




I never made lasagna because I don't like ricotta until Luca Lazzari posted a recipe for lasagna ala Bolognese with NO RICOTTA!  Yum.  It's delicious.


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## di reston (Apr 25, 2014)

*Gnocchi - what to serve them with*

Hello all - I've just re-joined the group after many years absence and it's great to be back.

I live in Italy and hope to share information (and recipes, obviously) with you.

Here, gnocchi ( for those who don't already know, pronounced 'nyokki)are what is known  as what we call a primo piatto, which follows the antipasto, and is then followed by the secondo, or main course)  and are served with sauces or ragù. They are very nice with pesto, but as an old timer I prefer them with a really good tomato sauce or a meat ragù, or with sage, butter, parmesan and black pepper. I've never come across them served with fish.

I have a really nice recipe for orecchiette with prawns and sweet basil. Anyone interested?

Ciao a tutti

Di


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## Dawgluver (Apr 25, 2014)

di reston said:


> Hello all - I've just re-joined the group after many years absence and it's great to be back.....
> 
> I have a really nice recipe for orecchiette with prawns and sweet basil. Anyone interested?
> 
> ...


Welcome back Di!  Of course we're interested in your recipe!


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## di reston (Apr 25, 2014)

Orecchiette (you can use linguine if you prefer that type of pasta)70g per person.
Giant prawns - 50g per person
Lemon zest grated, to taste
Garlic to taste but delicately used so as not to overpower the flavours
A handful of chopped parsley
A handful of chopped sweet basil
Juice of 2 lemons
Extra virgin olive oil (delicate flavour rather than strong)
Good quality light white wine, about 1 wineglassful

Chop the herbs and garlic fine, and add the lemon juice
Cut the prawns (gamberoni) into 1cm pieces
Lightly cook the prawn pieces with the chopped garlic in the olive oil. Add the herbs and lemon zest, then the lemon juice to taste, then the wine.
Cook the pasta according to the instructions then toss in the skillet along with the flavouring ingredients and prawns, season to taste with salt and black pepper. Garnish with one whole unshelled prawn and serve very hot.
A great favourite for everyone, including the chef!!

Ciao a tutti

Di


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## Addie (Apr 26, 2014)

CWS4322 said:


> All this talk about gnocchi had me making some this morning. I decided to have Spring Vegetable and chcken soup with potato gnocchi for lunch. Question: to freeze the rest, do I cook them first, or freeze them and cook them when I want to eat them?



They are already cooked. You cook the potatoes and then mash or rice them. So into the freezer they go. If you purchase the store bought ones, they are frozen and then you cook them.


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## CarolPa (Apr 26, 2014)

Some of the store-bought are not frozen.  I have seen them in Aldi's in the noodle aisle.  They had gnocchi and tortellini.  I have had the tortellini but not the gnocchi.  I don't know how they keep without being frozen.  Probably lots and lots of preservatives!  The tortellini were delicious.


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## pacanis (Apr 26, 2014)

They keep excellent! That's all I use anymore. No problems with freezer burn. I think the ones I buy are Gia Russo.


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## Aromataste (Apr 26, 2014)

CWS4322 said:


> All this talk about gnocchi had me making some this morning. I decided to have Spring Vegetable and chcken soup with potato gnocchi for lunch. Question: to freeze the rest, do I cook them first, or freeze them and cook them when I want to eat them?


Frozen them before to cook them. Make sure to do not put too many gnocchi in every bag and make it flat in the fridge, or you will have a gnocchi ball


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## Aromataste (Apr 26, 2014)

Thank you all for the warm welcome!
My favorite way to season gnocchi is:
burro e salvia
Warm some butter in a pan, when it melt down add sage leaves and fry until they become crispy (careful they burn easily). Add to gnocchi and enjoy....nice and easy!

My second favorite is gnocchi alla sorrentina, typical of Southern Italy:
Pour oil in a pan and add garlic, after 1 minute add tomato sauce and salt, cook for 5 minutes.
In a single portion clay dish (you can use a simple small silver "tray" for baking) put gnocchi, the sauce and sliced mozzarella. Bake it for 10 minutes.


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## pacanis (Apr 26, 2014)

Give this recipe a try sometime, Aroma. It's very tasty!
Baked gnocchi with bacon, tomato and mozzarella - Simply Delicious


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## Addie (Apr 26, 2014)

CarolPa said:


> Some of the store-bought are not frozen.  I have seen them in Aldi's in the noodle aisle.  They had gnocchi and tortellini.  I have had the tortellini but not the gnocchi.  I don't know how they keep without being frozen.  Probably lots and lots of preservatives!  The tortellini were delicious.



I buy the standard boxes of pasta. But every so often I want to go back to my childhood and head for the refrigerator pasta like the Noni's made when I was a child. And in there they have the freshly made gnocchi.


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## taxlady (Apr 26, 2014)

CarolPa said:


> Some of the store-bought are not frozen.  I have seen them in Aldi's in the noodle aisle.  They had gnocchi and tortellini.  I have had the tortellini but not the gnocchi.  I don't know how they keep without being frozen.  Probably lots and lots of preservatives!  The tortellini were delicious.


Why would they need preservatives? Other pasta is just dried.

The stuff I have seen with lots of preservatives is the "fresh pasta" in stores.


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## pacanis (Apr 26, 2014)

taxlady said:


> Why would they need preservatives? Other pasta is just dried.
> 
> The stuff I have seen with lots of preservatives is the "fresh pasta" in stores.


 
I just looked at the back of one of my packages of Gia Russa gnocchi and you wouldn't eat it. There is all kinds of stuff in there. Of course, there might be all kinds of stuff in the frozen, too. I don't know.

Typically when there is moisture present you need preservatives. That is why (for instance) the bacon I make needs refrigerated, but the bacon they made way back when doesn't. No moisture.
The "fresh" gnocchi is the vaccum sealed package are soft, not hard like boxed pasta.


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## taxlady (Apr 26, 2014)

pacanis said:


> I just looked at the back of one of my packages of Gia Russa gnocchi and you wouldn't eat it. There is all kinds of stuff in there. Of course, there might be all kinds of stuff in the frozen, too. I don't know.
> 
> Typically when there is moisture present you need preservatives. That is why (for instance) the bacon I make needs refrigerated, but the bacon they made way back when doesn't. No moisture.
> The "fresh" gnocchi is the vaccum sealed package are soft, not hard like boxed pasta.


Ah, I thought you guys were talking about dried gnocchi.


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## pacanis (Apr 26, 2014)

I wonder why they don't have dried gnocchi... Too thick?


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## taxlady (Apr 26, 2014)

pacanis said:


> I wonder why they don't have dried gnocchi... Too thick?


I Googled dried gnocchi. I got to some forum where someone was asking about it. Someone else tried and said they weren't as big and they were very dense. He did however say that homemade, dried gnocchi held up to frying much better than fresh ones and that he would dry half his gnocchi in the future 'cause they were really good fried.


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## letscook (Apr 27, 2014)

I grew up using cottage cheese in lasagna. Never new about ricotta till I got out on my own. I like ricotta and use that in my lasagna, often if out And I don't want to go to the store cottage cheese is use with good results.
I also use cottage cheese in my potato and cheese perogies


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## Addie (Apr 27, 2014)

I have never liked ricotta. But I used to eat cottage cheese as a kid all the time. I wonder why I stop? I am going to have to get back to it.


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## dcSaute (Apr 27, 2014)

that baked dish just looks too good to pass up.
we have a fresh pasta section in the market, never looked before - but did.

found Rienzi brand, ingredients:  rehydrated potato, wheat flour, potato starch, rice flour, salt, lactic acid E270, sorbic acid E200, natural flavor.

with a best by date of Dec 2014.  as 'preservatives' go, those are pretty mild!


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