Matt Gelsinger Gnocchi

Good gnocchi are pillowy, not gummy, and the secret starts before you ever touch the flour. Baking the potatoes instead of boiling them keeps them dry, so they don’t soak up water and force you to add extra flour, which is the single fastest way to end up with dense, chewy dumplings.

Work the dough while the potatoes are still warm, and stir in the flour just until it blends. The less you handle it, the more tender the gnocchi. Roll the dough into ropes, cut into pieces, and press each one over a fork or ridged paddle. Those grooves aren’t just for looks; they catch and hold sauce.

You’ll know they’re done the moment they bob to the surface of the boiling water, about three minutes. Scoop them out right then, because overcooking turns them mushy. Toss with brown butter and sage, a simple tomato sauce, or pesto.

Chef Tips

• Use starchy baking potatoes like russets; waxy potatoes hold too much moisture for fluffy gnocchi.
• Add the flour gradually and stop as soon as the dough holds together. Too much flour means tough gnocchi.
• Cook in batches so the pot stays at a rolling boil and the gnocchi don’t clump.
• Freeze formed gnocchi on a tray, then bag them, and boil straight from frozen with no thawing.

Variations

• Pan-fry the boiled gnocchi in butter afterward for crisp, golden edges.
• Work a little grated parmesan or a pinch of nutmeg into the dough.
• Stir in cooked, squeezed-dry spinach for green gnocchi.