The Water Boiling Tip To Remember When Making Gnocchi

If you're making your own gnocchi, there's a lot to keep in mind with not only choosing the best ingredients but also perfecting your technique. While the boiling stage may seem like an easy last step in making this type of pasta, after all, you've already done all the hard work in forming your gnocchi. You'll want to boil your pieces carefully so they don't fall apart in the water. In fact, a strong simmer should be more than enough to do the job. 

It's important to be delicate with your pasta and treat each piece with a light touch. Therefore, you don't need to wait for a full and vigorous boil, since it can be too powerful for your soft and pillowy pieces. Rather, heat your water until it's at a simmer and drop them in the pot carefully. It shouldn't take more than two or three minutes to fully cook your gnocchi. You'll know it's done when the pieces rise to the top of the pot. 

Boiling your gnocchi ensures that they cook properly, with a soft, pillowy interior and a smooth shell. However, this type of pasta is notoriously fragile, thanks in no small part to the composition of the dough. These pieces consist mostly of potatoes, flour, salt, and eggs, kneaded until the dough has just barely come together. You want a lightly-kneaded dough to preserve your gnocchi's texture. With excessive kneading or excessive flour, your pieces will form too much gluten and wind up chewy and hard.

The delicacy required to make gnocchi ensures that they taste just as delicate and delicious. Once your pasta pieces have been properly boiled at the right temp, all that's left to do is to take them out of the water with a slotted spoon and add your gnocchi to your favorite tomato or pesto sauce. If you're looking for something more unique to use, try making our sweet potato or creamy chicken recipe that will have you going back for seconds.