- I'm gonna show you how to make potato gnocchi
that are way better than store-bought.
Check this out.
(light upbeat music)
(Natasha straining)
Hey everybody, it's Natasha from NatashasKitchen.com.
Today, we are making gnocchi.
They're spelled guh-notchy
and I always thought that's how you pronounce it,
but then I learned it's nee-okie.
Just has this ring to it, nee-okie.
And if I'm still saying it wrong, let me know. (laughing)
All right, these are so simple to make.
They are so soft and so tender, they freeze really well,
and there are so many different ways to serve these.
And let's get started 'cause I'm getting hungry! (laughing)
All right, and if you haven't already,
make sure, make sure you subscribe to our channel
if you like recipes that work. (laughing)
All right, we're gonna start with some russet potatoes.
Russets are my favorite for this recipe.
And I like to use baked potatoes.
Make sure you check out our tutorial
on how to make the fastest baked tutorial-
Baked potatoes (laughing) in the Instant Pot.
I will link to that in the recipe notes.
You'll need four large cooked potatoes, or about two pounds.
As soon as the potatoes are cool enough to handle,
peel the skins off using a small paring knife.
Now, if you're gonna use a potato ricer to make gnocchi,
you wanna cut each potato into four pieces.
This'll make it much easier to press the potatoes
through the potato ricer.
A potato ricer is also a great tool
for making the creamiest mashed potatoes,
and I will link to the one I'm using in the notes.
If you don't have a potato ricer,
you can also use a box grater.
We're gonna use a potato ricer today
because it's the most traditional way to make gnocchi.
Add one piece of potato at a time
and push it through onto a clean work surface.
I've found that if you try to add
more than one piece of potato,
it can be pretty difficult to push it through.
And what I love about this specific ricer that I'm using
is there's very little waste at the end.
Next, beat one large egg and drizzle that over the potatoes.
Now, here's a trick I learned
from Gordon Ramsay's recipe for gnocchi.
Add 1/4 cup of ricotta cheese.
Just dot little pieces over the top of your potatoes.
It makes the gnocchi very soft and tender.
Now combine one cup of flour, a teaspoon of salt,
and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
and sift that over the potato mixture.
Now, you can use your hands to bring the dough together,
but I find it's easier and less messy
to use a bench scraper.
And again, this is one of my favorite kitchen tools,
and I will link to it in the recipe notes.
Lightly mix everything together,
then use your hands to press the dough together gently.
Dust the work surface with flour
as you continue to knead and roll the dough.
You can fold the dough down onto itself as you're kneading,
but avoid stretching it, which can develop gluten.
You really wanna keep that dough light and fluffy
and make sure you don't over-knead or smash the dough.
Just fold it over onto itself and press gently down.
If the dough seems too sticky,
you can dust it with more flour
and just continue kneading and shaping the dough
until all of the flour's incorporated
and you have a soft and smooth dough.
You can see, when it's done,
the dough should have a light and fluffy interior.
Roll the dough into a log,
then divide it into eight equal pieces.
(light upbeat music continuing)
Over a lightly-floured surface,
roll each piece of dough into a long strip.
Sprinkle on a little more flour as you roll out the dough
so it's not sticking to your hands.
Once you have a long, even strip,
cut it into one-inch pieces.
Now, there are several ways to shape gnocchi.
You can leave them as is
or you can use either a fork or a gnocchi paddle.
The paddle is optional,
and I'll leave a link to this in the description.
It's really easy to use.
Just press on the gnocchi as you roll them down the paddle.
My favorite method for rolling gnocchi
is to use a floured fork.
Just dip the fork in a little bit of flour
to keep it from sticking
and roll a piece of dough with your thumb.
Roll the gnocchi down the fork, then push it off the fork.
Transfer those to a floured baking sheet
and keep them spaced so they don't stick together.
Roll out the next piece of dough and repeat the process
until all of your gnocchi are formed.
Once you get in the groove of making these,
it really is a quick and easy process.
This recipe feeds about six to eight people,
so it is a generous amount of gnocchi.
I love to freeze half of it.
To do that, place them on a floured baking sheet
that's lined with parchment paper
and transfer them into the freezer for two hours.
Once they're frozen, you can transfer them
to a Ziploc bag for easier storage.
Then just boil them when you're ready.
Before we boil the gnocchi, because they cook really fast,
you wanna make sure to have your sauces ready to go.
The first way is with pesto sauce.
You can use either homemade or store bought,
and I will share my recipe in the notes.
Transfer that to a bowl and set it aside.
You can also use marinara sauce,
and I have a great recipe for a homemade version.
And if you wanna use marinara,
we wanna get that warmed up in a skillet.
And the third way I'm gonna show you
is how to saute these with butter and bacon.
Start by browning your bacon in a good nonstick skillet.
(bacon sizzling)
Transfer the browned bacon to a plate
and leave some of that bacon fat in the skillet
to saute the gnocchi when they come out of the hot water.
Once we have our serving method prepped,
we're gonna go ahead and boil the gnocchi.
I'm using a five-and-a-half-quart Dutch oven for this
and I've filled it up halfway with water
and added one-and-a-half tablespoons of salt.
Bring that water to a boil, then scoop in the gnocchi.
If you're making the full recipe,
you wanna cook these in about four batches.
Make sure you don't overcrowd the pot.
As soon as you see the gnocchi start to come to the top,
set a timer for one minute.
Once that timer is up,
immediately lift the gnocchi with a sieve to drain.
We have our skillet nice and hot here and ready to go.
So, once those gnocchi are done,
we're gonna transfer them into the hot pan.
Make sure you let the excess water drain off
to reduce the amount of splatter in the hot oil.
Saute those over medium heat
until they're browned on all sides.
Transfer the cooked gnocchi to a plate
and you can top with the reserved bacon.
We're gonna boil the second batch in the same salted water
and we're gonna heat that marinara sauce in the skillet.
You want the marinara sauce to be nice and warm
as soon as those gnocchi come out of the hot water.
And again, just as soon as you see
the gnocchi start to float to the top,
set a one-minute timer, then strain them immediately.
Transfer them right into that hot marinara sauce
and stir gently to combine.
Transfer those to a plate,
and all that's left to do is to add some Parmesan cheese.
To serve these with pesto,
simply put them over the pesto sauce,
add a little more pesto sauce on top, and stir to combine.
Do you know what time it is? (laughing)
It's taste test time, and I am so excited
because look what's in front of me. (laughing)
All right, and I seriously, I can't pick a favorite.
I guess it just depends on whatever I have on hand.
If I have pesto, I'm making the pesto.
If I have marinara and cheese, that's what I'm going for.
And if I have a bacon,
you know I'm making this one right here.
All right, let's do this.
I am so hungry and this smells so good,
and I know how good it tastes.
Okay, we're gonna start with the one with bacon.
All right.
I mean, this is naughty.
Cooking gnocchi in bacon fat and topping with bacon
and serving with sour cream,
this is naughty, but it is so good.
Oh, here we go.
All right, dunk in the sour cream, lots of it.
Mm!
Mm, here we go.
Mm-mm.
Mm-hmm.
They are so soft and tender inside,
and I love how they form that crispy crust on the outside.
It is irresistibly good.
This is a must-try, wow.
And then the bacon adds a lot of flavor to the gnocchi.
It's so good. (laughing)
Kind of reminds me of our pirogi recipe.
This is very similar,
if not the same way that we serve our pirogi.
I guess I couldn't resist. (laughing)
Okay, all right.
Item number two, we're gonna try the marinara ones,
and this is also so good, so simple.
And make sure you try our homemade marinara sauce.
It is so simple.
Yummy-yum.
Okay, get some cheese on there.
Mm.
Wow.
This is delicious. (laughing)
Just that little simple marinara sauce,
it adds amazing flavor.
It coats each of these gnocchi just perfectly,
and a little bit of Parmesan for that little salty bite.
This is...
Ah.
It really is hard to pick a favorite!
And then, last but not least,
we're gonna try the one with the pesto.
And if you have tried my homemade pesto,
you know why I'm so excited about this. (laughing)
It has a lot of good lemon zing
and there's Parmesan in it,
so you don't really have to put Parmesan on top.
But here we go.
Oh, so saucy.
Mm.
Wow, that pesto sauce just really brings out
all the great flavor of gnocchi.
And it's amazing because it's the same no-key-
Not no-key.
I feel like I'm saying it wrong now. (laughing)
It's the same basic recipe,
but it makes three completely different dinners,
and that's the beauty of this recipe.
It is so versatile and it freezes well.
And I have a hungry youngster that just got home
and she was just itching to join me on this taste test.
Come on, cutie.
Come on. - I don't want the green one.
- You don't want the green one.
She don't have to have the green one.
I'll have the green one. (laughing)
All right, which one's your favorite?
- I'm gonna just try these two.
- You're gonna try those two, okay.
And?
Thumbs up, two thumbs up.
And a big toe, if you didn't see that. (laughing)
All right.
Next one, the ones with marinara sauce.
- I know this one's even better.
- Even better?
Ooh, is that right?
Oh.
Okay, what-
What's happening?
Wait, you forgot the green one.
You forgot to try the green one.
- [Diana] I don't want the green one.
- She doesn't want the green one.
Fine, more for me. (laughing)
All right, I'm gonna go enjoy these gnocchi with my husband.
Husband, come get some gnocchi. (laughing)
- You know my mom's not gonna eat all of that.
- Yes I will eat all of that. - No you won't!
- Yes I will. (laughing) - You'll never!
- All right, we'll see you in our next video.
Honey, lunch!