By Alice K. Thompson for Food Network Kitchen

Alice is a contributing writer and editor at Food Network.

Tender, pillowy gnocchi are a restaurant favorite, and you may have bought them premade in the supermarket. But if you haven’t tried making them at home, get ready for a delicious surprise: They require as few as three ingredients, need no special equipment and take just an hour or two of your time. You’ll end up with potato dumplings infinitely better than the store-bought version.

Are Gnocchi a Type of Pasta?

Gnocchi means “dumplings” in Italian, and technically these little pillows are not a pasta. But since they’re boiled and sauced similarly it’s easy to see why they’re often categorized with pastas. So why argue? Gnocchi shouldn’t, however, be confused with gnocchetti, a semolina-based pasta from Sardinia that looks similar to gnocchi but has a very different taste and texture.

How to Make Gnocchi

Here’s the classic technique for making a batch of potato gnocchi, the most popular variety. While gnocchi don’t require any special equipment, a potato ricer is convenient to have, as is a bench scraper. And if you plan on making them a lot you can invest a few dollars in what’s known as a gnocchi paddle or gnocchi board, although a dinner fork does the trick as well. Looking for specific measurements? Check out our recipe for Potato Gnocchi, or any of the other variations listed under "Gnocchi Recipes" below.

Boil Your Potatoes: Place unpeeled russet potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by a few inches. Bring to a boil, adjust the heat and boil until tender.

Test the Potatoes with a Knife: The potatoes are done when a paring knife slides easily into one. Drain immediately and let cool slightly.

Peel the Potatoes: When cool enough to handle, slip the skins off the potatoes with your fingers or with the help of a paring knife.

Rice the Potatoes: Cut the potatoes into chunks and pass them through a potato ricer, creating a mound on a clean work surface; let them cool. (If you don’t have a ricer you can shred the potatoes on the large holes of a box grater.)

Add Your Other Ingredients: Sprinkle the mound of potatoes with salt, flour and any other ingredients your recipe calls for, such as egg or cheese. Use a fork to just incorporate the ingredients.

Knead the Dough: Once everything is combined, switch to your hands and knead the dough until smooth, about 2 minutes. Do not overwork the dough; it should be loose and airy, not dense. Gather it into a ball.

Roll the Dough into Ropes: Cut the dough into sections and roll each out with the palms of our hands into an even rope as thick as you’d like your gnocchi; 3/4- to 1-inch thick is usual, but thicker or thinner gnocchi are fine too.

Cut the Ropes into Sections: Use a pastry cutter or knife to cut each rope into individual sections of an inch or so.

Form the Gnocchi: Roll each piece of dough on a gnocchi paddle or over the tines of a fork to create grooves. (This is optional but gives the dumplings a classic appearance and helps sauce adhere to them.) Place each gnocchi on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Boil and Serve: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi and simmer until they float, 1 to 2 minutes, then cook 1 additional minute to make sure they’re no longer doughy in the middle. Gently remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon, drain them well and serve with the sauce of your choice.

How to Freeze Gnocchi

Place them in a single layer on a parchment-covered baking sheet and place the sheet in the freezer until the gnocchi are solid, 1 to 2 hours. Transfer the gnocchi to a resealable freezer bag, remove any excess air and freeze for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to serve them you can boil them directly from frozen; just adjust the cooking time as needed.

How to Serve Gnocchi

You can serve gnocchi with just about any sauce you’d use for pasta. Marinara, pesto, cream sauces and Bolognese are all popular ways to dress them up. They’re also classic with just butter and Parmesan or brown butter and sage and excellent baked into cheesy casseroles. A fairly recent favorite is gnocchi included in sheet-pan dinners like Sheet-Pan Gnocchi with Butternut Squash and Arugula.

Gnocchi Recipes

Potato gnocchi are the most popular, but we’ve also rounded up a few terrific variations — some traditional, some adventurous — in case you want to branch out.

Potato Gnocchi

Here’s a classic recipe for gnocchi that’s super-easy to follow even if you’re a first-timer. The dough is nice and forgiving and yields a generous batch of fluffy dumplings.

Ricotta Gnocchi

Using ricotta cheese instead of potatoes in gnocchi dough is one of the most common variations and makes a softer, creamier dumpling. This recipe from Geoffrey Zakarian suggests serving them with a tomato and pancetta sauce, but you could use any sauce you prefer.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter, Crispy Pancetta and Sage

A touch of sweetness and warm orange hue are the rewards for using baked sweet potatoes in place of russet potatoes. A classic brown butter–and–sage sauce gets fabulous flavor (and irresistible aroma!) from pancetta.

Cauliflower Gnocchi

Is there anything cauliflower can’t do? Here it works along potatoes to make a delicious gluten-free version of gnocchi. An easy caper–and–brown butter sauce makes it an indulgent vegetarian meal.

Gluten-Free Chickpea Gnocchi

These fluffy dumplings have a lot going for them: chickpea flour makes them gluten-free and gives them a subtle nutty flavor, while ricotta keeps them light and fluffy. And the gnocchi are piped directly into the boiling water, so no rolling or cutting is required.

Related Links:

Our Best Gnocchi Recipes

37 Potato Recipes That Are Absolute Perfection

Italian Dinners