How To Use a Gnocchi Board To Shape Homemade Pasta

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Learn how to use a gnocchi board to make homemade pasta. A gnocchi board is a simple tool for making easy and beautiful pasta. No stand mixer, pasta roller, or fancy equipment is needed!

Recently, on my YouTube channel, I shared tips for homemaking efficiency and weeknight family meals because my main goal for dinner is often to get homemade food on the table as quickly as possible.

But I don’t want my whole life to feel like a rush. And my guess is neither do you.

Even though I rely heavily on quick dinners like homemade sloppy joes and easy sides like Instant Pot millet, I also try to carve out space for slow, beautiful cooking.

Making pasta wasn’t always my go-to for those days when I wanted to relax and create something beautiful in the kitchen. In fact, in the past, when I would make pasta with a roller or extruder, it took so long and was so tedious that I just wanted to get on with my day.

That’s not the type of slow living I’m going for, haha!

Lately, making pasta on a gnocchi board has been a slow and meditative way to enjoy being in the kitchen. Yet it is fast enough that I don’t have to carve out hours of my day.

The best part is that pasta rolled on a gnocchi board is beautiful. So you get the pleasures of a slow day in the kitchen, a pretty batch of homemade pasta, and a delicious meal to share with your family.

My friend and fellow local foodie Alyssa (@what.the.forkkkk on IG) taught a pasta-making class I recently attended. She taught us how to use gnocchi boards to make pasta, and I haven’t looked back. It’s so easy and pretty!

I’ve included an easy pasta recipe below. So, on the days when you need to slow down, you can make simple, beautiful pasta on a gnocchi board.

Why You’ll Love Using a Gnocchi Board for Pasta

• Easy – Using a gnocchi board to shape homemade pasta is easy. You don’t need any prior pasta or dough experience.
• Low-maintenance – You don’t need a pasta roller, stand mixer, or pasta maker. Just your gnocchi board and a bench scraper are all you need, and even the bench scraper is optional.
• Aesthetics – I love making beautiful sourdough bread and food. Shaping dough on a gnocchi board creates beautiful pasta that can’t be replicated with a machine. Gnocchi boards come in all sorts of beautiful patterns.
• Quick -If you’ve ever used a pasta roller or extruder, you know it can be really tedious. But shaping pasta on a gnocchi board takes only a few minutes.
• Versatile – Mix your homemade pasta with creamy lemon chicken, Instant Pot stewed tomatoes, or your favorite sauce.

Tips for Using a Gnocchi Board for Pasta

• Use a bench scraper – For a more consistent shape, especially if you are a beginner, I recommend using a plastic bench scraper (a metal scraper will scratch your board). As you gain more experience, you can use your thumb to shape the dough.
• Cover your dough – Pasta dough dries quickly. As you shape it, cover the extra dough with plastic wrap.
• Make a C-shape – The back of the pasta should be open like a “c.” This creates a little pocket for holding sauce.

What is a gnocchi board?

A gnocchi board is a rectangular tool, usually made of wood, used to shape and texture gnocchi or pasta dough. Sometimes, you might see it referred to as a “riganocchi.”

Classic gnocchi boards have vertical ridges to create texture, but many custom boards contain intricate patterns. No matter the pattern or design, the purpose of texturizing the dough is to create little pockets that sauce can better cling to.

Are gnocchi and pasta the same thing?

Well, the answer depends on who you ask. Some folks believe gnocchi is just an expanded version of pasta, while other diehard pasta lovers think it’s different.

Luckily, this debate is inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, so here is the general breakdown of the great gnocchi vs. pasta debate.

Though gnocchi is similar to pasta, it differs in that it contains potatoes. Traditional gnocchi dough is made with potatoes, eggs, flour, and salt.

On the other hand, pasta is made with wheat flour and can be made with or without eggs. Because gnocchi is made with potatoes, many foodies contend it is a dumpling, not pasta.

Gnocchi and pasta differ in shape…sometimes. The Italian term “gnocchi” means “knuckle.” So gnocchi is always a dumpling or knuckle shape, whereas pasta can be shaped like gnocchi but can be made in various shapes.

Even though they have some differentiating characteristics, gnocchi and pasta are often used interchangeably in many recipes.

How To Shape Pasta with a Gnocchi Board

To make pasta on a gnocchi board, you will need a prepared batch of pasta dough. You can use your favorite homemade pasta recipe, egg dough, or my easy pasta recipe below.

Divide your pasta into manageable portions (how many will depend on how much dough you have).

Use your hands to roll one portion of dough into a long rope about as thick as your thumb (if you prefer smaller pasta, roll as small as your pinky).

Using a bench scraper, cut the rope into 1/2″ pillows.

Place one piece of dough on the upper end of the gnocchi board.

Angle either your thumb or a plastic bench scraper on the top end of the dough.

Press down with gentle pressure. The amount of pressure will depend on the dough. Soft or delicate dough needs light pressure, while stiff pasta dough needs more.

Begin to roll the dough on the gnocchi board.

Maintaining the pressure, continue rolling the dough down the board.

Repeat until you have shaped all of your dough. It’s that easy!

Note: You can roll the pasta or gnocchi away from or toward yourself. Rolling horizontally on my board is easier, so I find it more comfortable to roll toward myself. But either direction will work depending on your board and preference.

Video – Making Pasta on a Gnocchi Board

Check out how I make homemade pasta on a gnocchi board in this YouTube video. I’m pairing the pasta with the sauce from my gnocchi with sage cream sauce recipe.

What can I use instead of a gnocchi board?

When you need pasta, you need pasta. I get it; pasta is my favorite food.

If you are having a pasta emergency but are without a gnocchi board, you can shape your pasta with fork tines:

1. Hold the fork at a 90° angle, with the tine tips resting on the counter or work surface and the back facing up.
2. Place a piece of dough on top of the tines, and use your thumb to roll it down the fork.
3. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Some home chefs use a cheese grater for shaping pasta or potato gnocchi. But if you slip up go the wrong way, you can cut yourself. And just the thought of it gives me the heebie jeebies. I don’t recommend it.

Caring for Your Gnocchi Board

With proper care and maintenance, your gnocchi board can last a lifetime or even generations.

• Use a soft brush – Use a soft brush to remove any flour or dough left on the board.
• Avoid water – If you have to wash your gnocchi board, use warm water and mild dish soap. Be sure to dry it thoroughly.
• Hand wash – The dishwasher is a no-go. I know that’s a bum in a world with dishwashers, but wood kitchen tools won’t hold up in the dishwasher.
• Don’t soak – Don’t soak or submerge your wood gnocchi board.
• Keep it dry – Make sure your wood gnocchi board is thoroughly dry after use.
• Season – Like a wood cutting board, keep your gnocchi board seasoned with food grade mineral oil to prevent the wood from drying out.

Easy Pasta Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups seminola or durum flour – All-purpose flour will work if you don’t have seminola or durum flour, but you might have to adjust the hydration while kneading.
• 1/2 cup warm water – Warm water helps the gluten form more quickly.
• 1/2 tbsp – Olive oil adds a little flavor to the pasta.
• 1/2 tsp salt (plus more for cooking) – Salt adds flavor. Don’t forget to salt your pasta water!

Tools You Will Need

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• Bowl – Grab a mixing bowl to combine the ingredients.
• Whisk or Danish dough whisk – I like to use a Danish dough whisk to combine the ingredients into a shaggy dough.
• Gnocchi board – With care and proper maintenance, a quality gnocchi board like the one I use from Schlosser Custom Millworks will last a lifetime.
• Plastic scraper – I like using a plastic scraper to shape pasta because it gives it a more consistent shape. However, the traditional way is to use your thumb.
• Plastic wrap – You will need a little plastic wrap to prevent the dough from drying out while resting.
• Large pot – Any large pot for boiling water will do. I like to use a cast iron Dutch oven. If you aren’t sure if you can use a cast iron Dutch on your range, check out my stovetop Dutch oven guide.

How to Make Homemade Pasta

Whisk together the flour and salt in a mixing bowl.

Create a small well with your fist or the bottom of a small bowl. Pour the water and oil into the well.

Mix the ingredients into a shaggy dough with a fork or Danish dough whisk.

Turn the dough out onto a floured counter or work surface. Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic.

Pasta dough should not be tough, sticky, or dry. If it is too dry, add one tablespoon of water at a time until it reaches the desired consistency. If it is too wet, add one tablespoon of flour at a time until it reaches the right consistency.

Shape the dough into a disc and wrap it in plastic wrap. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes-3 hours. The longer, the better, up to 3 hours.

After the dough has rested, follow the gnocchi board shaping instructions above.

While you are working on shaping the pasta, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Don’t forget to salt your pasta water!

Cook the pasta in boiling water until it begins to float, usually 3 minutes or so. Test one to make sure it is cooked to your liking before straining.

Serve with your favorite tomato sauce or creamy pasta sauce.

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If you tried shaping pasta on a gnocchi board, let me know how it went. Leave a comment or review below!