Surprisingly, the answer seems to be a qualified yes, however the texture is not the same. The dried gnocchi turned out to be much better if fried after boiling; see below.
Here are the results of my experiment:
I dried a small amount of the fresh Gnocchi by placing them in a 150 degree (Farenheit) oven for about an hour, then turning off the oven and leaving them in all day. It is very dry here, so that did the trick.
I boiled the dried gnocchi after several days of storage. They took about ten times longer to boil than their fresh counterparts. Even after they were fully cooked, they were not as soft as the fresh gnocchi, and they never regained their original size or shape. Overall, they were denser, firmer, and less sticky. Not desirable traits necessarily, but they were quite edible.
I decided to pan-fry a small batch in about a tablespoon of oil, and these turned out wonderfully! I have pan-fried gnocchi before, and it tends to be hard to keep them intact and keep them from sticking. The previously dried gnocchi, however, did not stick and held up to vigorous frying. The result were gnocchi with a crispy exterior and soft (if somewhat dense) interior. The crispy outside and flavor reminded me of samosas. These weren't just edible, they were great. I plan to dry about half of my next batch and use the dried gnocchi exclusively for frying.
3 grams (contingent on the relative weight of the rest of the recipe) is not a big deal.
But, since egg whites are such a pain to measure, it's very simple in recipes like this. Beat your egg whites slightly, then weigh and remove three grams. Much easier.
Best Answer
It's not traditional, but adding egg white is not unheard of, though in this example, it is not whipped. There are recipes for gnocchi with whole egg, egg yolk only, and no egg as well. It might contribute to fluffiness, but it also might throw off the consistency of the dough. As you do some research on gnocchi, you will note several other variables that impact the consistency of the final product...type of potato and how it is treated, amount of flour, kneading/mixing time...egg or no egg. It's certainly worth an experiment, and it is not unheard of for posters to do the legwork to answer their own question. Try it out. Let us know the result.