Gnocchi

Gnocchi are a type of pasta consisting of soft, fat and chewy dumplings, typically paired with ragú, tomato or butter sauce. Traditionally, gnocchi dough is made of semolina or plain wheat flour, egg, and mashed potato.

Gnocchi are a longtime culinary tradition in the Veneto region of northeastern Italy, where the weather is cool enough to permit potato cultivation. Their name derives from the plural form of the Venetian dialect term gnocco (“knuckle”), borrowed from the German Knöchel, probably by way of nearby Tyrol, Austria. The name can be explained by the similarity of the dumplings’ shape to an animal knuckle.

Gnocchi typically find a place on the Italian table as a primo piatto, or first course, although it is substantial enough that it could be eaten as an entrée. In Italian cuisine gnocchi are usually served with a meatless sauce, and the dish often precedes a second course of meat or fish. The variations on the dumplings’ basic theme are many: Roman gnocchi (gnocchi alla romana) are served with a sauce of butter and cheese; gnocchi alle noci are served with crushed walnuts and butter; and Triestine gnocchi (gnocchi alla triestina) are served with prunes, sugar, and cinnamon. Throughout Italy, gnocchi often appear with a simple sauce of fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil or with a pesto sauce of pinenuts and basil.