Potato Gnocchi From Scratch

1. Stage

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Stage

Bake the potatoes: Spear the potatoes with fork tines in several places around each potato to vent moisture as the potatoes cook. Bake the potatoes in their skins until tender, about an hour. Let cool on a rack, cutting them open to help cool and let more moisture escape.

3. Stage

Mash and fluff the potatoes: Work with the potatoes when they are still warm. Scoop out the potatoes from their skins. Mash the potatoes and fluff them up with a fork into a large bowl. (It works great to pass the potatoes through a potato ricer if you have one.)

4. Stage

Add the flour, egg, salt and mix into a ball of dough: Add the flour, beaten egg yolks, and pinch of salt. Mix by hand until you have a nice pliable ball of dough. Do not overmix.

5. Stage

Roll pieces of the dough into long cylinders: Prepare a work area and dust it with flour. Take the dough, a piece at a time, and roll it out gently with your hands until you have rolls about 3/4 inch in diameter. It is very important to keep a light touch while you are rolling the dough! Gently roll the dough with your fingertips while exerting the lightest pressure outwards, not down, to draw the dough out.

6. Stage

Cut the dough into pieces and form indentations: Cut the tubes of dough into pieces about 1 inch long. Using either the tines of a fork or your fingertip, press against a piece of the dough and roll it slightly to form an indentation (good for catching the sauce). As you make the gnocchi, place them on a flat baking pan that has been lightly dusted with flour or lined with waxed paper.

7. Stage

Drop the gnocchi into simmering water: Bring 4 quarts of salted water (1 tablespoon of salt for every 2 quarts of water) to a boil in a saucepan. Gently place the gnocchi, a few at a time, into the water. As soon as the gnocchi rise to the surface, remove them with a slotted spoon or spider strainer, shaking off excess water. Place the gnocchi on a warm serving dish. Cook the remaining gnocchi the same way.

8. Stage

Serve with sauce: Top the gnocchi with your favorite (heated) pasta sauce and serve immediately.