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  1. Home
  2. Food

How to pick the right potatoes for gnocchi

The perfect gnocchi is just a potato away. - by Rhys McKay
  • 15 Mar 2021

How many times have you tried making gnocchi and it turns out lumpy, undercooked or soggy? Well you may have missed the most important step: picking the right potatoes. 

WATCH: Karen Martini's potato gnocchi 

Whether you grow your own potatoes or opt for store bought, it's important to know what potatoes are best for gnocchi? Floury potatoes like Desirees are usually considered the best, followed by Royal Blues and King Edwards if they’re available. Floury potatoes work well because they keep their shape after being cooked, which is important for well-formed (and therefore well cooked) gnocchi.

Here’s our brief guide on how to get that perfect gnocchi dish.

What is gnocchi?

Gnocchi is an Italian dish that refers to any kind of pasta made up of small, soft dough dumplings flavoured with sauce and various herbs. The recipe varies a lot by region, with the dumplings being made of either cornmeal, eggs, cheese, wheat flour, or potatoes. You can always use frozen, refrigerated, or dried gnocchi from your local supermarket, but for the best results, it’s generally advised that you make your own.

making gnocchi
Getty

Best potatoes for gnocchi in Australia

The best kinds of potatoes for gnocchi are floury or all-purpose potatoes. They don’t have a lot of moisture and can hold their shape well even after rolling them into dough, which makes them well-suited for the compact ball-sized lumps that make the best gnocchi. The key to perfect gnocchi is to get a nutty, mashable potato that can still hold its shape after cooking, or your gnocchi will turn to mush.

The size of the potato doesn’t matter so much, as cooking will change a lot of its composition, size, and weight. Keep in mind that cooking gnocchi will take away a lot of the water content of your potatoes, so you’ll want to cook a lot of potatoes to make up for how much they’ll shrink while cooking. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a smaller serving than you’d expect.

Look out for these types in particular:

  • Desiree potatoes
  • Yukon Gold potatoes
  • Creme Royale potatoes

Potatoes to avoid

These spuds are either waxy or starchy and will turn your gnocchi into a formless mess:

  • Red Royale potatoes
  • Kipfler potatoes
  • Any kind of sweet potato

If you’re cooking gluten-free and vegan-friendly gnocchi, opt for an all-purpose potato like Royal Blue. According to Paolo Cardile from Sydney's On Ya Gnocchi, a good quality Royal Blue potato replaces eggs very easily, and they have a surprisingly light texture.

potatoes
Getty

Tips for making perfect gnocchi

Making gnocchi is a delicate task. The best ingredients can only get you so far; every small action from the prepping, to the rolling, to the cooking, can spell the difference between delicate gnocchi that melts in your mouth or a lumpy broth that’s more like soup. Here are some tips that you can follow for perfect gnocchi every time:

Work the dough by hand: It’s tempting to leave the pressing and rolling to a machine, but that might turn your dough into goo. Machine and shapers also tear the dough instead of gently slicing through it, which can make the rolling process more difficult.

Boil, microwave, or bake: Floury potatoes are more forgiving of the different methods of cooking than starchy or waxy types. If you don’t have access to an oven, baking or microwaving the potatoes in their jackets works fine.

Cook then measure for flour: Potatoes lose a bit of weight and water while they’re cooking. Calculate how much flour you’ll need after you cook the potatoes.

Use low-protein flour: There’s nothing wrong with using your usual all purpose flour, but its high protein content might leave you with chewy gnocchi. If you want to get that soft and buttery texture, use one-third cake flour and two-thirds all purpose flour.

gnocchi dish
Getty

What other things do I need to keep in mind when picking potatoes?

Generally just getting the right kind of potato is a pretty good start! For the best results, choose freshly-harvested organic potatoes, or get first pick at the farmers’ market or your local supermarket. If you want to be specific about the kind of taste you want for your gnocchi, pick nuttier-tasting potatoes like Yukon Gold over Russet. Feel free to experiment!

Roll, cook, and serve

You can prepare gnocchi in a variety of ways, but picking the right potato to use is the first step to getting the best results. Pick floury potatoes and low-protein flour, and you’ll have an appetising dish that will have your mouth watering.

Some of our favourite gnocchi recipes:

Gnocchi di patate

Potato gnocchi with butter and cheese

Soft potato gnocchi

  • Food
  • Better Life
  • Pasta Recipes Dishes
Rhys McKay

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Potato bake with sour cream, brie cheese and chives

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Potato pizza

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White bean gnocchi with soy beans and lemon butter

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Potato cakes with jalapeno tartare sauce

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This veggie has been found to combat bowel cancer

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Easy trick to make your potatoes last longer

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Karen Martini's tiramisu

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