Homemade Potato Gnocchi

Instructions

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1. 1 Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. 2 Use a fork to poke holes in the potatoes. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork.
3. 3 When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, but still warm, peel off and discard the skins. Pass the peeled potatoes through a ricer, or place them in a large bowl and mash with a fork until smooth.
4. 4 Transfer the potatoes to a lightly floured surface and form them into a wide, thin mound. Drizzle with the egg and sprinkle with the salt and a third of the flour. Use your hands or a bench scraper to lift and fold the potatoes into themselves to incorporate the egg and flour.
5. 5 When the first addition of flour is just incorporated, sprinkle the potatoes with another third of the flour. Fold and lightly knead the dough to incorporate it. Continue adding flour a little at time and kneading and folding the dough until it’s soft and pillowy, but not sticky. You may not need all the flour, or you might need a bit more. Knead the dough as little as possible to incorporate the flour. You don’t want to overwork it.
6. 6 Form the dough into a ball and cut it into 8 equal pieces. Dust your work surface and your hands with more flour and roll one piece into a rope about 1-inch in diameter. Cut it into ¾-inch pieces and transfer them to a floured plate or baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.
7. 7 Optional step: Shape the gnocchi. Dip the tines of a fork in flour and hold the fork parallel to your work surface. Place one gnocco at the end of the tines and use one finger to press it into and along them. One side will have ridges and the other side will have an indentation from your finger. Repeat with the remaining gnocchi.
8. 8 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Set a colander over a large bowl nearby. Add a third of the gnocchi to the boiling water and cook for about 2 minutes, or until they float. Use a slotted spoon to lift the gnocchi out of the boiling water and into the colander, then repeat twice with the remaining gnocchi.
9. 9 Serve with marinara sauce or pesto, or try another of the serving suggestions in the blog post above.