What makes gnocchi fluffy

As the year winds down and our thoughts turn once again to starchy sides — as they are wont to do — can't we for once have some dadblasted gnocchi? As good as it is, gnocchi's like that crazy Uncle Shadrach you're always meaning to invite for the holidays but can't ever seem to remember because — well, you haven't really got a reason. Today, then, let's call old Uncle Shadrach and have him over for some fresh, delicious gnocchi. Like their kissing cousin, pasta, Italy's diminutive dumplings pair well with a thousand sauces.

Tomato, cream, pesto, even a simple butter melted with fresh sage all pair perfectly well. And, like so many other things, once you get the hang of it, you'll never look back. First of all, if you're new to gnocchi, they're light little things, smaller than the tip of your thumb and twice as tender. They're often described as having a "pillowy" texture, and indeed, I can imagine a tiny mouse resting its itty-bitty noggin on one of these plush creations. There are heaps and piles of gnocchi styles out there in the great big world.

For the time being, though, we'll stick with potato gnocchi, as that seems to be the most common variety and it makes a good entry point. As with anything containing just a few ingredients, the type and quality of those ingredients have increased importance.

Let's take a look. The potato. If you fancy yourself a potato enthusiast, you know that there's a potato spectrum that leads from the starchy like a russet to the waxy like a new red. As a rule, we want starchier, rather than waxier, potatoes. This is because the waxier the potato, the more moisture it contains, and the more moisture there is, the more flour we're going to need to get the dough to hold together.

Now, we've got nothing against flour. It's just that, the more flour you have in your gnocchi, the denser and doughier it's going to be. And good gnocchi should be so light they practically float off your plate, like the yeasty, buckwheat blini of an orbiting Soviet cosmonaut.

Note to self: Find more current cultural references. The flour. Writer has done great job. Best thing about this blog is its simplicity. Thank you so much. Keep posting Wormateio. Already a subscriber? Log in. Get the print magazine, 25 years of back issues online, over 7, recipes, and more. Start your FREE trial. Fine Cooking. Sign Up Login. Photos: Scott Phillips. Save to Recipe Box.

Add Private Note. Saved Add to List Add to List. Add Recipe Note. Recipe Potato Gnocchi Recipe. Recipe Gnocchi with Creamy Gorgonzola Sauce. Private Notes Edit Delete. Comments Leave a Comment. Leave A Comment Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Member ID. Featured Review. What We're Cooking Now. Ricotta gnocchi are wonderful served in broth or with a light tomato sauce.

Another classic preparation has them swimming in butter with sage leaves. But my latest favorite version is to sauce them with a simple parsley pesto, and to finish with a shower of chopped pistachios and Parmesan. Put ricotta in a large mixing bowl and season generously with salt and pepper. Whisk in Parmesan and taste. The mixture should be well seasoned. You should have a soft, rather sticky dough.

Dump dough onto a clean work surface. Add a little more flour if necessary and pat very lightly to form a soft mass. Test the dough: Bring a saucepan of well-salted water to a boil. Take 1 tablespoon of dough and drop into water. Dough should sink to the bottom, then rise to the surface.

Let simmer 1 minute, then remove and taste. If the dumpling keeps its shape, continue to step 3. If it falls apart, add a little more flour to the dough, but carefully: If you add too much, the gnocchi will be stodgy.

Dust dough lightly with semolina, then cut it into four equal parts. Dust work surface with semolina.