Mark Bittman’s Gnocchi Recipe

Directions

Put the potatoes in a large pot with water to cover and salt it. Bring to a boil, then adjust the heat so the water bubbles gently but steadily. Cook until the potatoes are quite tender, about 45 minutes. Drain the potatoes and peel while still hot: Use a pot holder or towel to hold the potatoes, and peel them with a paring knife—it will be easy. Rinse the pot and refill it with salted water.

Use a fork, potato masher, or ricer to mash or rice the potatoes in a bowl, along with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Add about 1/2 cup of the flour and stir it in gently with a fork. Add more flour a little at a time until the mixture forms a dough you can handle. Knead for about a minute on a lightly floured work surface. Let the dough rest for at least 15 or up to 30 minutes.

Bring the water in the pot back to a boil. Pinch off a piece of the dough and boil it to make sure it will hold its shape; if it does not, knead in a bit more flour. (The idea is to make the dough with as little flour and kneading as possible.)

Put the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Line a plate with towels. With your hands or scissors, remove just the leaves from the herb, and make sure they’re dry. You should have about 1/4 cup. When the oil is hot, add the leaves, stirring constantly until they frizzle and crisp a little bit. Transfer them to the towels to drain. Remove the oil from the heat.

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Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll a piece of the dough into a rope about 1/2 inch thick, then cut the rope into 1-inch lengths. Roll each piece off the tines of a dinner fork, pressing gently, to score it lightly with grooves. As each gnoccho is ready, put it on the parchment; do not allow the gnocchi to touch.

Put the skillet with the oil over low heat. A few at a time, add the gnocchi to the boiling water and stir; adjust the heat so the water keeps bubbling without breaking the gnocchi apart. A minute after they rise to the surface, they’re done. Use a slotted spoon or spider to transfer them to the skillet with the oil; repeat until all the gnocchi are cooked. Add the zest and reserved herb leaves to the gnocchi and gently toss to coat. Add a little of the cooking liquid to make a sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding pepper if you like. Serve right away.

Variation

To make Spinach Gnocchi, skip the herbs and season the oil with the zest only. Stem, rinse, and steam 10 ounces fresh spinach, or thaw 5 ounces frozen spinach. Drain the spinach, squeeze to get as much water out as possible, and mince. You should have about 1 cup; save any extra for another use. Add to the mashed potatoes along with a pinch of nutmeg.

Excerpted from the book How to Cook Everything Vegan, provided courtesy of Harvest, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Copyright © 2026 by Mark Bittman. Reprinted by permission.