Making gnocchi seems like a daunting task, but it is actually way simpler than it really seems.

Start by boiling the potatoes in some salted water until they are soft all the way through.

Check them with a skewer to make sure you are not trying to mash up undercooked potatoes.

Mash the potatoes well while they are still hot. Allow them to cool a bit before proceeding, but just enough that you can comfortably handle the potatoes to knead the dough.

Start by adding the flour slowly, about a half cup at a time.

Knead the flour and spices into the potato to form a soft dough.

Adding the flour slowly will allow you to get the dough to a good consistency without over drying the dough with too much flour.

If you add too much flour, the dough becomes crumbly and will not hold shape.

This recipe is for basic potato gnocchi, but can be adapted to be any type of gnocchi by adding ingredients into the dough before rolling and cutting into small pieces.

Adding parmesan or Asiago cheese will give more flavor, but be sure to add that before all of the flour, since grated cheeses can make the dough drier, meaning you will need less flour.

After the dough is solid, but not crumbly, kind of like a soft cookie dough, start rolling portions of it into snakes about ¾ of an inch thick.

Cut the rolls into small pieces about an inch long, the using the tines of a fork, press a ridge into one side.

Drop several of the gnocchi at a time into boiling water.

Once they start to float, let them cook for about two more minutes, then remove and drain. They are pretty delicate, so use a spoon to scoop them out of the water and place into a strainer.

Serve with your favorite sauce as a main dish or a side.

This dough is easy to make and add to, so spinach gnocchi or asparagus gnocchi are simple, just cut the veggies up fine and incorporate into the dough, more flour might be needed since the moisture of the veggies will probably soften the dough.

Ingredients

2 1/2 pound of potatoes, peeled

1 to 2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. garlic powder