How to Make Italian Gnocchi from Scratch: Perfect Pillows

Start by placing the unpeeled potatoes in a large pot and covering them with cold, salted water. This ensures even cooking from the outside in. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for 25-35 minutes until fork-tender but not falling apart. The skin should give slightly when pressed, but the potato shouldn’t be mushy.

Drain the potatoes and let them cool just enough to handle safely. While still warm, peel them carefully – the skin should slip off easily. This step is crucial: hot potatoes release steam and create the perfect texture for gnocchi

Pass the warm, peeled potatoes through a potato ricer or food mill onto a clean, lightly floured work surface. If you don’t have a ricer, mash them gently with a fork, but avoid using a regular masher which can make them gluey.  The goal is to achieve a light, fluffy texture without lumps.

Create a well in the center of your potato mountain, like a volcano crater. This traditional technique, used throughout Italy, allows you to gradually incorporate the other ingredients without overworking the mixture.

Add the egg yolk, salt, and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano to the center of your potato well. Sprinkle about three-quarters of the flour around the potatoes. Using your hands or a bench scraper, gently bring the ingredients together, working from the outside in.The key here is restraint – mix just until the dough comes together into a soft, slightly sticky ball. If the dough feels too wet, add the remaining flour gradually. The texture should feel like a warm, fluffy cloud that barely holds together.

Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a rope about ¾-inch thick. Don’t worry about perfection – rustic is beautiful in Italian cooking.

Cut each rope into ¾-inch pieces using a bench scraper or knife. At this point, you can leave them as simple pillows or create the traditional ridged pattern. To make ridges, gently roll each piece over the tines of a fork or a gnocchi board, pressing lightly with your thumb. The ridges aren’t just decorative – they help capture sauce beautifully.

Place the shaped gnocchi on a semolina-dusted baking sheet, ensuring they don’t touch each other.

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil – it should taste like the sea. Working in batches, gently drop about 20 gnocchi into the boiling water. Don’t overcrowd the pot.

Watch for the magic moment: when the gnocchi float to the surface, they’re nearly done. Let them bob for another 10-15 seconds, then lift them out with a slotted spoon. This entire process takes about 1-2 minutes per batch.

For the classic butter and sage sauce, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sage leaves and let them crisp slightly – you’ll hear them sizzle and smell their aromatic oils releasing. The butter should turn a light golden color.

Gently add the cooked gnocchi to the skillet, tossing carefully to coat each dumpling. Add a splash of the pasta cooking water if needed to create a silky sauce. Finish with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and black pepper.