Turn bland, icky, solidified leftover mashed potatoes into delicious, pillowy gnocchi. By just adding an egg yolk and some flour to that mound of mashed you'll create a pasta like dough that tastes delicious and comes together quickly. Eat them right away or freeze them for a 10 minute meal later!
When I'm making dinner I generally count on one potato per person. Who can't eat a whole potato? I can eat several potatoes. Fried, mashed, boiled, raw ... doesn't make a difference.
So for Thanksgiving dinner I peeled up 13 potatoes for my 13 guests then threw in a few more for good luck (and myself). That would make just enough mashed potatoes in my estimation for 13 people to have with their turkey, stuffing, turnip, green beans, rolls, pumpkin soup and tomato salad. And pie. And ice cream. And a little more stuffing while standing in the kitchen, cleaning up after dinner. And the other pie.
I may have overestimated everyone else's ability to eat mashed potatoes until it bursts out of their belly button because I ended up with leftover mashed potatoes.
I had 6 cups of leftover mashed potatoes.
When my sister was helping me clean up she asked if I wanted to keep them. "YES! YES! YES!! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, YESSSSS I WANT TO KEEP THE MASHED POTATOES! Who are you??"
At the time I said I'd make potato pancakes with some and give the rest to the chickens. You may not know this about chickens, but chickens loveeee mashed potatoes.
Then a couple of days later when it came time to deal with the mountain of mashed potatoes, I had a potato epiphany. It came in the form of a tiny Italian angel who ran up my spine, over my head, down my face and kicked me in the nose.
His name was Gnocchi.
Gnocchi is a food sent from the angels. Granted, they're the kind of angels who kick you in the nose ... but nobody likes a goody goody.
If you aren't completely familiar with it, I'll explain what Gnocchi is exactly.
What's Gnocchi?
Gnocchi's a little dumpling that looks like pasta but is actually made with mashed potatoes. (sometimes it's made with other things, but we're focusing on potato gnocchi today since it's the most popular) There is some flour and egg added in, like a regular pasta, but the base ingredient is potato.
They can be served with tomato sauce or butter and parmesan cheese. Or anything else you can think up. Dousing gnocchi with browned butter and fried sage leaves is one of my favourite ways to make it.
This is not a recipe that you need to be too concerned about measurements. In fact, making gnocchi is more about the feel of it than the exact measurements. Like any dough!
Generally speaking it's 2 parts mashed potato, 1 part flour and 1 egg per 2 cups of potatoes.
For this batch here I worked with:
2 cups cold mashed potatoes
1 cup flour
1 egg, beaten
¾ tsp. salt
That ratio of 2 cups potato to 1 cup flour to 1 egg
is the same as
1 lb potatoes to 1 cup flour to 1 egg
Dump half of your flour onto your work surface.
Dump your mashed potatoes onto the flour.
Form a well in the potatoes and pour your egg in it.
Add salt.
Pour half the remaining flour (½ a cup) on top.
Work the egg, salt and flour into the potatoes using either your hands or a pastry scraper.
Once everything is roughly incorporated, gently knead the dough like you would pasta for a couple of minutes. Do not over knead. At this point you can incorporate the rest of the flour if you need it. If the dough is still too sticky to handle or roll out, you need more flour.
Again, be careful not to add too much flour, or your gnocchi will be dense and tough.
Divide your dough into workable pieces.
Roll the dough out until it's around ¾ " in diameter.
Using your pastry cutter or a knife, cut the rope into lengths of ¾".
Now you have to decide how you want to shape your gnocchi. By pressing it with your thumb, or rolling it on a fork.
To get the classic ribs on the gnocchi, roll each piece down the tines of a fork. It's takes some practice, but you'll get the hang of it.
You aren't just sliding it down the fork, you need to roll it down. Once you do it right the first time you'll yell, "ah HAH!".
And then you'll run outside to drag someone in to show them.
To make the thumbprint version, just poke your finger into the centre of the gnocchi. Both versions are fine. The reason you NEED to do one of these two methods is because it's the ridges and the indent that helps holds whatever sauce you're putting on them.
If you're planning to freeze some gnocchi, lightly flour a baking sheet, place the gnocchi on it and freeze. Once frozen you can remove them from the pan and immediately put them in baggies or a widemouth mason jar. These then go back in the freezer. Work as quickly as possible so the gnocchi doesn't have a chance to thaw out at all (because then they'll stick to each other).
To cook your gnocchi, drop them in salted, boiling water. They're done when they float. To make them even MORE delicious, pan fry them for a couple of minutes in butter and/or oil.
Then you can either top the gnocchi with any old red sauce you can get your hands on, or you can take it a step further and serve Gnocchi with browned butter and crispy sage leaves.
All this because I made an extra 6 cups of mashed potatoes. I won't make that mistake again next year. I'll make sure I have at least 8.
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Bre Quantrill
Ah, yes! Gnocchi, the violent brother of Gnocchio. Older brother Gnocchio will just poke you with his long fried dumpling potato nose rather than kick you in yours. The gnocchi before you cut it, that's Gnocchio's nose.
Maureen Locke
Oh, these sound so yummy. I'm a bit daft on the rolling them down the fork tines though, however frying anything in butter is a bonus in my book. Yummm
Marion
great recipe, didn't think it was so easy making them, I usually buy them in the store - we live just 1 1/2 hours away from the italian border, so we have a lot of fresh italian food to buy here! Another thing: did I see the new kitchen island in the photo? When do we get the update from the kitchen remodelling? I can' wait! Pls hurry!
Barbie
I have been making Gnocchi for about 35yrs now (married into an Italian family) ....and never have I ever pan fried it! OMG....so gonna try that ....sounds decadent!!!
mia pratt
Thanks so much Karen, once again a fabulous recipe made perfect. Gnocchi is true gastro-porn. I don't smoke but after a dish of gnocchi, I have found myself fantasizing about a good Cuban cigar and a glass of port. A post-carb channeling of some old Italian ancestor, no doubt (I'm Irish). When it comes to the gold standard for calories, it's butter-pan-fried gnocchi with parmesan flakes followed by a dark chocolate truffle and a glass of Merlot and…well...who needs a man?
Dee
You make this look so easy. I've always been a little intimidated to make gnocchi. Such great comfort food for the cold weather to come. Yum. Thanks, Karen.
Karen
Whoever heard of left over mashed potatoes?
Amie Mason
Cold mashed potato makes the best gnocchi! My girlfriend told me her Nonna always makes her gnocchi this way - makes the fluffiest little pillows!
Pam'a
What is it with fellas and gnocchi? Mine maintains he doesn't like it either, but he LOVES mashed potatoes. I may have to force the issue.
Sharman
Mine too. Same for risotto!
Gabby
OMG mine too!! Where are they from Sicily??
Dani @ lifeovereasy
Well thanks for posting that recipe, because the family tradition of amazing delicious gnocchi was heading for a dead end because I CAN'T GET A RECIPE OUT OF MY MOTHER! Impossible. Italian mothers don't give out recipes. You have to hang out with them for the day, help clean the oven, can some tomatoes, and then eventually help make the actual gnocchi to be able to figure anything out. And you might have to do this a few times because the technique varies depending on the type of potatoes she buys, her mood, and probably the weather. Reading this blog is much easier.
Karen
I'm guessing the gnocchi won't be as good though. ;) K!
toekneetoni
Mouthwatering now.
Sandy
GAWD Karen!!! I always have leftover mashed potatoes and just end up making stupid potato pancakes for breakfast for the next couple of days, I never thought of making...yes I had to scroll back up to see how to spell it, gnocchi. Thanks doll, another recipe to save from you. PS, you make me sick....lol
Karen
Don't you DARE pooh pooh potato pancakes, LOL! ~ karen
Karen
I love you too by the way Sandy. ~ karen
Barbara
OK, I think these sound delicious, but do you mean to make them even better we pan fry them a couple of minutes AFTER we have boiled them, or just pan fry them without boiling them? Yummy! Love your blog, I am 65 and I think it is the first one I subscribed to. Keep up the good work.
Karen
Pan fry after boiling. It elevates the gnocchi to something else entirely! ~ karen! p.s. That's quite a compliment Barbara. :)
Diane
Ah my GOD - I LOVE gnocchi (and you, you gnocchi godette)
Edith
Oh my goodness, havn't had Gnocci in years...but I will soon! Thanks for reminding me of them. I grew up in Germany and my mother would melt butter in a pan and throw in some breadcrumbs until they were a little browned, the she would put in the cooked Gnocci for a quick tossing. Delish!
Tash @ The Dreamhouse Project
OMG! I love this! Gnocci is...actually I don't think I can even say it better than you did. It's like food sent from angels! I'm a pasta junkie but there is a very special place in my heart for gnocci. I had NO idea it was that easy to make...or at least you made it look easy. I'll definitely be trying this out next time I over estimate and cook too much mashed potatoes. Thanks as always Karen!
Jamieson
Woman, you know the way to my heart is through my carb hole and gnocchi is the doughy key that always leaves it gaping wide.
Hazzah!
Marti
I'm more convinced now than ever that you have the metabolism of a squirrel. Who runs a lot.
Why did you have to tell us to fry the gnocchi in butter or oil? All these years, I'd thought gnocchi was sorta bland. Now I know it just needed to be fried in butter. You've probably just ruined my life. I hope you wake up at 2am and eat all the rest of your gnocchi as punishment.
Karen
I might. ~ karen btw ... your life will now be forever changed. Gnocchi lightly browned in oil and butter is ... life changing.
Anastasia
Bahahaha! I'm trying this recipe right now- I didn't have much luck with the eggs in the well, but hopefully it'll turn out okay! DEFINITELY frying it!
Maureen
Got this one pinned!
jainegayer
I'm making tons of mashed potatoes this year for Thanksgiving just so I can make gnocchi.
You made it look so easy. Thanks, Karen.