{Be Nourished} Homemade Gnocchi + Red Marinara!

Have you ever eaten something that was store bought or even made at a restaurant and think to yourself “I could totally make that!” and I bet homemade would taste even better?! Well that was me a couple weeks ago when I had store bought gnocchi for the first time. So, I went online and did my research for some vegan homemade gnocchi recipes and found a ton of information. The potatoes have to form a dough but it can’t be too soft, it can’t be too firm, it can’t have too much flour…it’s like Goldilocks and the 3 Bears…it has to be “just right” or once you start to roll them out and put them in the water they fall apart, which is not good when it comes to actually eating the gnocchi!As I mentioned earlier, the internet is your friend and is a wealth of knowledge and I could have read gnocchi blog posts for hours but I finally settled on one. I cut the recipe in half as I was only feeding myself since my husband was out of town! (I try new recipes while he’s gone that way if it’s bad, he does’t get stuck eating it! #nicewifeaward)

Anyways, I used a recipe from keepinitkind.com and you can find the full recipe there but if you are looking to make “Gnocchi For One” then this is the recipe for you! VEGAN GNOCCHI FOR ONE

Ingredients

– 2 russet potatoes

– 1 cup of whole wheat flour (give or take a bit)

– 1/2 TBS olive oil (optional)

– salt and pepper to taste

– water

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 – 400 and place the potatoes on a baking sheet. Don’t forget to use a fork to poke some holes in there before putting them in the oven. Let them bake for 60 minutes. (tip: if you want to shorten the baking time cut your potatoes in half and bake at 375 for 30 minutes)

2. Bring a large pot of water to boil and add a pinch or 2 of salt.

3. Once the potatoes are cooled enough to handle, peel the skins from the potatoes and place in a large bowl. (Don’t let the potatoes cool completely as you was them to be as warm as possible during the next few steps)

4. Run potatoes through a ricer if you happen to have one. I did not have one on hand so I used a potato masher and it worked just fine. Just make sure there are no lumps…when you think you have mashed enough, mash some more! (be sure to skip the arm work out at the gym, just saying, you will get enough work doing this!) Add olive oil (optional), salt and pepper to taste and work that in with the masher.

5. Add flour to the mashed potatoes 1/4 C at a time. Get in there with your hands (the potatoes should be cool enough to touch) and work the flour in with each addition. Once you feel like you have the right consistency, pull off a small piece of the dough, roll it into a ball and drop it into the boiling water. If it floats to the top without falling apart, then you are good. (And if you do this on your first try then you are truly a gnocchi boss! I was not…trial and error for the win)

6. Once you have a proper dough, you can turn the boiling water down because the process of rolling, cutting, shaping the gnocchi is tedious but so very worth it.

7. Take the dough, quarter it, and start rolling them out into 3/4 to 1 inch thick ropes. Cut the rope in half, line them up one on top of the other and cut them into 1/2 in pieces. Repeat this process with the remaining dough.

8. Use a fork to shape the gnocchi by taking one 1/2 in piece and placing it on the fork, pressing gently and roll it from the base of the fork down to the end of the tines. You should have ridges on one side and a dimple on the other which is perfect for holding whatever saucy goodness you decide to put on top.

9. Once the gnocchi is all rolled out, it’s time to get it into the pot. Do this in batches as you do not want to over crowd the pot or the gnocchi won’t cook properly. They should sink to the bottom and float to the top within 2 to 3 minutes. Pull the floating gnocchi’s out and place them on a baking sheet.

10. I like my gnocchi a little crispy as it adds a little texture, not a lot but a tiny bite, so, I put my gnocchi in a pan until they start to brown just slightly and then add my marinara sauce over the top…warm it through and it’s time to dig in! (you can totally omit this step and just add sauce to the gnocchi right out of the pot)

Have you made homemade gnocchi before? I would love to know your favorite tips for newbie gnocchi makers! Also, I would love to know if you try this recipe so be sure to comment below and let me know!

xoxo – B

Brandy Dawson