Potato Gnocchi Recipe for Dinner Tonight

Potato gnocchi from scratch is one of those recipes that looks harder than it is. You need four ingredients — russet potatoes, egg yolks, flour, and salt — and about an hour of hands-on work. The result is soft, pillowy potato gnocchi that no store-bought bag comes close to matching.

Why This Potato Gnocchi Recipe Works

Baking the potatoes instead of boiling them is the key step most recipes skip. Boiled potatoes absorb water and make the dough sticky — you end up adding more flour to compensate, and the gnocchi turn dense and chewy. Baked potatoes stay dry, so the dough needs far less flour and stays light.

Using a ricer or food mill while the potatoes are still hot gives you a fine, airy mash without lumps. Lumpy mash means uneven dough, and uneven dough means gnocchi that fall apart in the water. This one extra step is worth every minute.

Egg yolks only — no whites. Whites add water, which again requires more flour. Yolks give richness and bind the dough without making it tough. The finished potato gnocchi should feel almost too soft to handle, and that is correct.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs russet potatoes (about 900g), whole and unpeeled
• 2 large egg yolks
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (about 95g), plus more for dusting
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter (for searing, optional but recommended)

What You Need for Potato Gnocchi From Scratch

Russet potatoes — high starch, low moisture. This is the only potato variety worth using for gnocchi. Waxy potatoes like Yukon Gold have too much moisture and produce sticky, dense dough. Use potatoes that are roughly the same size so they finish baking at the same time.

Egg yolks only — two yolks for 2 lbs of potato. Yolks bind without adding water. If you only have whole eggs, use one whole egg and accept slightly denser gnocchi.

All-purpose flour — start with 3/4 cup and add more only if the dough is too sticky to handle. Less flour = lighter gnocchi. Adding flour by feel is the actual skill in this recipe.

Salt — season the dough itself, not just the cooking water. The dough should taste mildly salty before it hits the pot.

Butter for searing — boiled gnocchi are soft but a little bland on the outside. A 2-minute sear in brown butter after boiling gives them a golden crust that makes the texture far more interesting.

How to Make Potato Gnocchi

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Pierce each potato several times with a fork.
2. Place potatoes directly on the oven rack. Bake for 60-70 minutes until completely soft when pierced with a knife.
3. While potatoes are still hot, cut them in half and scoop the flesh through a ricer or food mill onto a clean work surface. Spread the riced potato out to let steam escape for 5 minutes.
4. Make a well in the center of the potato mound. Add egg yolks and salt.
5. Sprinkle 3/4 cup flour over the top. Mix gently with a fork, then finish with your hands until a soft dough forms. Do not knead — just bring it together.
6. Dust the work surface lightly with flour. Divide dough into 6 portions.
7. Roll each portion into a rope about 3/4 inch (2cm) thick. Cut into 1-inch (2.5cm) pieces.
8. Roll each piece along the back of a fork to create ridges. Set aside on a floured surface.
9. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook gnocchi in batches — they are done 30 seconds after they float to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon.
10. Optional: melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown. Add boiled gnocchi and sear for 1-2 minutes per side until a light golden crust forms.
11. Toss with your sauce of choice and serve immediately.

Potato Gnocchi Variations

Brown Butter and Sage Gnocchi

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a wide skillet over medium heat until it turns golden brown and smells nutty. Add 8-10 fresh sage leaves — they crisp in about 30 seconds. Toss gnocchi in the brown butter and sage, finish with grated parmesan, and serve immediately. This is the classic Italian treatment.

Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce

Toss boiled gnocchi with a simple tomato sauce made from crushed San Marzano tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and fresh basil. Top with fresh mozzarella and a handful of basil. The soft gnocchi absorbs the bright tomato sauce in a way pasta cannot.

Gnocchi alla Sorrentina (Baked)

Place boiled gnocchi in a baking dish. Cover with tomato sauce, torn fresh mozzarella, and parmesan. Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 15 minutes until bubbling and golden on top. This version is great for making ahead.

Creamy Pesto Gnocchi

Toss seared gnocchi with 3 tablespoons of pesto and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. The cream loosens the pesto into a silky sauce that coats each potato gnocchi piece. Finish with toasted pine nuts and extra basil.

Tips for the Best Potato Gnocchi

• I always bake my potatoes — boiling them is the fastest way to make gnocchi that are too dense and gummy.
• Work quickly with the dough while the potato is still warm. Cold potato dough gets sticky and hard to roll.
• Add flour gradually and stop as soon as the dough holds together without sticking. Less flour = lighter gnocchi every time.
• Do not skip the fork ridges — they hold sauce instead of letting it pool at the bottom of the bowl.
• Cook gnocchi in small batches of 15-20 pieces. Crowding the pot lowers the water temperature and makes them gummy.
• Eat potato gnocchi immediately after searing. They soften and become sticky if they sit.

Make Ahead & Storage

Raw potato gnocchi freezes well. After shaping and ridging, lay them in a single layer on a floured baking sheet and freeze for 1 hour until solid. Transfer to a zip-lock bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Cook straight from frozen — they take about 60 seconds longer to float than fresh.

Cooked gnocchi can be refrigerated for up to 2 days, but the texture suffers — they become soft and slightly gummy. For best results, freeze the raw shaped gnocchi and cook only what you need. Reheat cooked leftovers by searing in butter rather than microwaving, which turns them mushy.

Common Questions

Why are my potato gnocchi gummy?

The two most common causes are boiling the potatoes instead of baking them, and overworking the dough. Boiled potatoes add water to the mix. Kneading the dough develops gluten and makes it tough. Bake the potatoes dry, mix the dough gently, and cook it right away.

Can I make gnocchi without eggs?

Yes. Skip the egg yolks and increase flour slightly — start with 1 cup instead of 3/4. Eggless gnocchi are a bit more fragile and need to be handled gently. They work well but are slightly less rich in flavor.

How do I know when gnocchi are done cooking?

They float to the surface of the boiling water when cooked through. Give them an extra 30 seconds after floating, then remove with a slotted spoon. Do not leave them in the water longer than that or they absorb too much water and fall apart.

What sauce is best with potato gnocchi?

Brown butter and sage is the classic pairing — the nutty richness matches the potato perfectly. Tomato sauce, pesto cream, and gorgonzola cream are all excellent. Avoid very heavy meat ragus, which can overpower the delicate potato flavor.

Can I use Yukon Gold potatoes instead of russets?

Technically yes, but the results are noticeably stickier and denser. Yukon Golds have more moisture and less starch than russets. If Yukon Gold is all you have, bake them longer to drive off more moisture and use slightly more flour.

Potato gnocchi from scratch is one of those recipes that rewards you every time you make it. Save this recipe and come back to it the next time you want something special and homemade on the table.