Easy Homemade Gnocchi Recipe – Soft, Pillowy Pasta from Scratch

Let’s cut to the chase—gnocchi might look like some culinary wizardry from an Italian grandmother’s secret playbook, but I promise you: it’s super doable. You don’t need fancy tools, a culinary degree, or even a pasta machine. This is soft, fluffy, potato-based comfort food, and we’re gonna make it fast, simple, and delicious.

Forget the flour clouds and fork ridges you’ve seen on TikTok. We’re skipping all the fuss and using just a handful of pantry staples. If you’ve got potatoes, flour, and salt—you’re already halfway there. We bake the potatoes instead of boiling them (no water-logged dough, thank you very much), and we don’t knead the dough into submission like it owes us money. Gentle hands make tender gnocchi.

Serve it with brown butter and sage, your favorite jarred sauce, or just a pat of good salted butter and a sprinkle of parm. Let’s roll.

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Ingredients (Serves 3–4):

• 2 medium russet potatoes (about 1 lb / 450g)

• 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

• 1 tsp salt

• Optional for serving: butter, sage, marinara, Parmesan, black pepper

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Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Bake the potatoes (45 minutes):
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Scrub the potatoes clean, prick them a few times with a fork, and pop them right onto the oven rack. Bake for 45 minutes until they’re super soft inside. (You want them fork-tender.)

2. Make the dough (10 minutes):
Let the potatoes cool just enough to handle. Peel them and mash with a fork or potato ricer until smooth. Don’t leave any big lumps—it’ll mess with the texture. Sprinkle the salt over the mash, then gently mix in the flour, a little at a time, until it forms a soft, slightly sticky dough. Don’t overwork it—less is more here.

3. Shape the gnocchi (10 minutes):
Dust your counter with flour and divide the dough into 4 pieces. Roll each into a rope about ¾ inch thick, then cut into small pillow-shaped pieces—around 1 inch long. No need for ridges unless you’re feeling extra. You’re done!

4. Boil (3–4 minutes):
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in the gnocchi in batches. When they float to the surface (after 2–3 minutes), they’re done. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon.

5. Serve it up:
You can toss them straight into a sauce, or sauté in a pan with butter for a crispy finish. Top with Parmesan and fresh herbs, and serve while warm and steamy.

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Pro Tip:

Use baked, not boiled potatoes to keep the dough dry and easy to work with. And don’t overmix the dough—treat it like biscuit dough. A gentle hand = fluffy gnocchi.

Want to freeze for later? Lay uncooked gnocchi on a floured tray and freeze until firm. Then pop them in a zip bag. Boil straight from frozen whenever cravings strike.