Potato Gnocchi

The best potato gnocchi come from boiled potatoes. Peel the potatoes, cut them into evenly sized pieces, and boil them in salted water for about 20 minutes, until they can be pierced easily with a fork.

Drain the cooked potatoes and press them through a ricer or grate them finely while still hot. Let them cool briefly so the excess steam escapes and the dough does not turn sticky.

Add the sifted flour, egg, and a pinch of salt to the warm potatoes. Bring everything together first with a fork and then by hand into a smooth dough, but work quickly and briefly so the flour does not toughen.

Divide the dough into four portions. On a floured board, roll each one into a long rope about as thick as your thumb and cut it with a knife into pieces roughly 2 centimeters long.

Press each piece with a fork or your thumb to give it the classic ridges. The ridges will later catch the sauce and give the gnocchi their signature shape.

Bring the salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add the gnocchi in smaller batches so they do not stick together and the water stays at a gentle simmer.

Cook them only until they float to the surface, which takes about a minute. Scoop the floating gnocchi out with a slotted spoon and let them drain.

Serve the finished gnocchi right away while they are hot. They taste great drizzled with melted butter, topped with grated cheese, or as a side to braised meat and sauces.