Classic gnocchi recipe

Step 1

Place potatoes in a saucepan of cold water. Cover. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce to low. Cook for 30 minutes or until soft when pierced with a skewer.

Step 2

Let the potatoes cool for about 30 minutes, then peel with a small knife. If they're still too hot to handle, wear clean rubber gloves. Return potatoes to the pan.

Step 3

Mash potato until just smooth, then press one-quarter of potato through a sieve into a bowl. Repeat in 3 more batches. Add salt and season with pepper.

Step 4

Add flour. Mix to form a firm, slightly sticky dough. If it's too sticky, add a little more flour, but only a tablespoon at a time. Too much makes the dough heavy.

Step 5

Dust a tray, lined with a clean, dry tea towel, with flour. Cut dough into 4 even portions. Roll each portion on a lightly floured surface to a 2cm-thick log.

Step 6

Use a lightly floured knife to cut logs into 2cm pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Place on the lined tray, making sure the gnocchi don't touch each other.

Step 7

Gently roll, 1 at a time, over the back of a lightly floured fork. The ridges help sauce cling to the gnocchi and give them a traditional Italian finish.

Step 8

Bring a large shallow saucepan of water to the boil. Add one-quarter of the gnocchi. When they rise to the surface - after about 2-3 minutes - they're ready.

Step 9

Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a baking tray, making sure there's a little cooking water still on the tray. This stops them sticking together.