Introduction Supermarket gnocchi has saved many a weeknight meal at GO! Pesto HQ, but once you've tasted fresh gnocchi, there really is no going back.
Homemade gnocchi are not hard to make, but it's going to take you an hour or so from start to finish. The secret to the fluffiest, most pillow-like dumplings is to use as little flour as possible.
There's no easy way to describe when you know your gnocchi is ready for shaping, but the second it stops sticking to either your hands or the work surface, that's when you'll know.
Recommended equipment Potato ricer Gnocchi board
Pro tip Gnocchi making is all about less is more. Work the dough too much, and you'll end up with gummy dumplings. Use too much flour, and your dumplings are going to be overly dense. Cook them for too long, and they'll disintegrate when you try to stir through the pesto.
Bake your potatoes in a 180°C oven until a skewer can easily be pushed through the middle, about 45 minutes.
Whilst still hot, cut the potatoes in half, scoop out the insides and pass through a potato ricer. If, like us, you're making a conscious effort to cut back on food waste, reserve the skins to make crispy potato skins.
Add the egg yolk, a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of flour to the potato and mix the ingredients gently. Transfer the mixture to a clean, flour-dusted work surface and knead as gently as possible, adding small amounts of flour until the mixture stops sticking to either you or the work surface.
With your hands, roll the dough into a rope about 3cm thick. Decide how big or small you want your gnocchi pieces to be. It doesn’t matter if you decide to make them very big or very small; the most important thing is that they are all the same size.
Optional: roll the pieces on a gnocchi board to add texture. Not only will this make them look more visually appealing, but it will also encourage your pesto to stick to them.
Boil the gnocchi in salted water until the pieces float, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking for another 20-seconds, then drain, stir through the pesto and serve immediately with chunks of tinned tuna and plenty of Parmesan.
