Homemade Potato Gnocchi Recipe

I’m looking forward to the new potatoes coming soon in my garden but meantime I tried making Homemade Potato Gnocchi which is a great comfort food but you can make it healthy too by adding lots of greens and herbs to your tomato sauce. This recipe uses floury potatoes such as Agria.

Homemade Potato Gnocchi

~800 g floury potatoes
1 egg
¾ teaspoon salt
150 g flour

Place whole potatoes on an oven tray and bake at 200C for about 1 hour (depending on the size of potatoes) until very tender .

Cut potatoes in half and peel off the skins while still warm. Push warm potato flesh through a potato ricer or use a large spoon to push it through a sieve into a large bowl. This ensures light gnocchi; one recipe I saw said: “whatever you do, do not mash the potato”.

Add egg and salt and mix in with a fork. Sift in flour and use your hands to bring together as a soft dough. Add a little more flour if needed until it feels dry to the touch, but not crumbly. Knead the dough a few times and then divide into six pieces.

On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece out into a log about 30cm long, then cut into bite-sized 2cm pieces. Gently push the tip of your thumb or finger into the centre of each piece to make a little indent (this makes the perfect little hollow for sauce to pool in).

Place in a large dish or on a tray (with a lip) dusted with flour, and shake pieces around to coat. Set aside until ready to cook.

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to the boil. (Whilst it is heating you can preheat the oven to grill and start making the tomato basil sauce).

Drop about half of the gnocchi (one by one) into the boiling water and cook for a couple of minutes, scooping them out with a slotted spoon as they bob to the surface. Transfer straight into the pan of hot tomato sauce.

: Approx 800g potatoes

: Bake until very soft and remove skins

: Use back of spoon to press through sieve

: Light fluffy potato

: Mix in other ingredients

: Knead, divide and roll out

: Cut into pieces

: Press your finger to create a dent

: Gnocchi pieces will rise to the surface when cooked

Tomato Herb Sauce

¼ cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic sliced
1 400g can crushed tomatoes
2 large handfuls of greens (e.g. spinach) and herbs (e.g. basil leaves)
150 g mozzarella
1 small handful grated parmesan

While water for the gnocchi is coming to the boil, make the sauce. Heat olive oil in a large heatproof fry pan on medium heat. Sizzle garlic for 1–2 minutes (but do not let it brown), then stir in crushed tomatoes. Simmer for 5–8 minutes until thickened, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir through basil.

Once all the gnocchi are cooked and added to the sauce pan, gently toss to coat in sauce and top with mozzarella and parmesan. Place under the oven grill for about 5 minutes or until sauce is bubbling and mozzarella is melted. Serve immediately.