Have you ever made pasta from scratch?

I know it’s messy but it’s so much fun!

Now Gnocchi makin’ ain’t easy. It’s a tad trickier than making traditional pasta (in my mind) because of the consistency.

I have to warn you: Your first (and maybe second) batch might not turn out great. That is why you should try a basic gnocchi recipe before trying this one.

Anyways! If you’re feeling up for the challenge, go for it 🙂

The first thing you need is a starchy potato. Russet potatoes are starchy and are a good fit for this type of recipe.

You also need a ricer. What’s a ricer? It’s what the potatoes go through to make them look like rice (picture shown underneath).

The ricer will make sure your potatoes are light and airy, which is exactly what you want when you are making gnocchi :).

In this case I used shredded beets (cooked for 25-40 minutes on low heat) because we had a ton of beets at home but you can also make them with spinach. I have a slightly different recipe for this one (Spinach Gnocchi on I Adore Food)

Now when following the instructions, you will see that I will, at some point, mention to look above for the step by step guide. This is it baby!

Gently fold everything together and gently knead the dough for a few minutes and make into a ball.

Divide in 8 pieces and make logs with each piece. Each log should be about 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide.

Cut at every 1/3 to 1/2 inch to make  your gnocchi.

With a fork, gently rock the gnocchi from side to side, pressing so very gently on it to form the “gnocchi shape” on each piece. Look at the following pictures to make sure you understand how to do it 🙂

See how the gnocchi is now on it’s side.

To cook them you will need a big pot with salted boiling water. Once the water is boiling, add a couple of gnocchi at a time to the water and cook them until the gnocchi are floating on the surface. With a strainer, grab your gnocchi and place them on a plate to cool down a bit.

Continue process until you are done!


Course: Dinner    Yield: 6 servings    Prep Time: 90 mins    Cook Time: 60 mins  


Ingredients

  • 1 of russet potatoes
  • 1/2 Pound of beets
  • 1-1 1/4 Cup of all purpose flour
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Peel your beets and grate them. In a saucepan, cook them on low-med heat for about 40 minutes, until mushy. Place in food processor to purée as much as possible.
  2. Peel potatoes and cut in quarters. In a big pot, boil potatoes until tender, about 20 minutes.
  3. Drain potatoes very well and put them through the ricer.
  4. In a bowl, fold beets in potatoes.
  5. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and sprinkle about 1/2 a cup of flour on the dough. knead the flour in. Sprinkle another 1/2 cup of flour and continue kneading.
  6. Now that's the tricky part: Once you are experienced with making gnocchi, you will know if the texture is right or if the dough needs more flour. The dough won't be as firm as pasta dough but you also do not want it to be too mushy. I have attached my step by step guide above (from my spinach gnocchi recipe) so can understand the steps a bit better. Follow the rest of the steps.
  7. Once your gnocchi are all cooked, you can make any sauce you want. I like to pan fry them a bit with butter to give them a bit of crispiness on the outside and then I like to add cranberry Boursin (soft crumbly cheese, you can also you chèvre) and pesto. Put heat on high and add a bit of water to bring your sauce to a creamy consistency and serve while hot! I don't measure when I make my sauce but per portion, I usually use about 1-2tbsp of boursin,1-2tbsp of fresh pesto and about 1/4 cup of water (+ salt and pepper).
  8. Enjoy!

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