When we think of gnocchi, our mind jumps straight to those soft little potato dumplings served in a lot of Italian cooking. But did you know there are actually several different kinds of gnocchi, each one very different from the next?
What's the Difference? Gnocchi di Patate, Gnocchi alla Romana, and Gnocchi Parisienne
There are three main kinds of gnocchi that we see called for in recipes and on restaurant menus:
Gnocchi di Patate - This type of gnocchi is featured in a lot of Northern Italian cuisine and is probably what most of us actually know as gnocchi. It's made by mixing mashed potatoes with flour and egg to form a thick, starchy pasta dough. This dough is rolled into ropes and then cut into individual nuggets before being boiled. Potato gnocchi should ideally have a light, springy texture, and they're great served in a simple sauce.
Gnocchi alla Romana - As you can probably guess from the name, this gnocchi also hails from Italy - and more specifically, from Rome. It's made from semolina (coarsely ground durum wheat) that is cooked much like polenta by boiling the grain with milk or water. The cooked mash is spread out onto a sheet pan to cool and solidify, and then it's cut into rounds. The rounds get layered into a baking dish along with butter, cheese, and any other ingredients, and then baked until bubbly. Classic comfort food!
Gnocchi Parisienne - This is the French spin on the rustic gnocchi. In this preparation, the dumplings are made with - get this! - pâte à choux! The prepared choux paste is piped directly into boiling water and the gnocchi float to the top when done. The texture of this kind of gnocchi is much lighter and airier than potato gnocchi. Most often, the cooked gnocchi are briefly sautéed in butter, which gives them a browned and crunchy exterior to contrast the airy interior.
We'd definitely be hard-pressed to pick a favorite among these kinds of gnocchi! They all sound so delicious and appealing. Do you have a favorite?
Related: Have You Ever Made Gnudi?
(Image: Flickr member kochtopf licensed under Creative Commons)
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Noodles, Pasta and Grains, Tips & Techniques, Inspiration, pasta, gnocchi, gnocci, dumplingsRelated Links
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I actually was going to make gnocchi for the first time this weekend but now I am reconsidering. I cannot seem to find instructions that I understand on how to form the gnocchi. Can someone here help me out with this? Sad to say...I have actually never even eaten it before but it sounds delicious so I don't even have a mental picture in my mind on how these are to look. Thanks in advance for any help!!
view ataylor1996's profile
ataylor - that's a great question! I hope to do a full post on making potato gnocchi soon, so keep an eye out for that. In the meantime, I assume you're finding recipes for gnocchi ok, but are just lacking in how to actually shape them? The easiest way to shape them is to divide the dough into four parts and roll each part into a long rope about the width of a cigar. Cut the rope into 1-inch pieces and you've got gnocchi! If you want to be fancy, you can roll them on the back of a fork to get the lines (like in the picture above). After this, you just throw them in boiling water and they're done when they float. They're best in a light cream sauce, thin tomato sauce, or simple browned butter. Have fun!
view EmmaC's profile
once you cut them into pieces, use the back of a fork to press and roll them. they should curl up.
view deeboyayay's profile
to shape the gnocchi you need to shape a string of potato dough about half an inch thick, cut it in about one inch long segments and then, with the help of your thumb, roll each segment against a fork or a cheese grater (on the hollow side). There is a special wooden implement to shape them, but it's not necessary.
There are lots of youtube videos about making gnocchi but all people there seems to use the wooden thing or their bare hands... do not desist!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Q7viQcx7U0
view plch's profile
Great thanks so much...I kept reading things that sounded so much more complicated than that!! Now I just need to get to the store and buy a potato ricer...that is probably the one kitchen gadget I don't have!!
view ataylor1996's profile
Apparently there are also different kinds of cavatelli, which I am still working on. I made a ricotta variation for my boyfriend, which apparently was all wrong. The ridges from the board I rolled them against were also objectionable. Basically, he's lucky I still love him. ;)
view meleyna's profile
I tried my first ricotta gnocchi the other week and they couldn't have turned out any better. Smooth texture and very easy recipe. Now my family is hooked!
view Corali's profile
I love to make Gnocchi di Patate, but I usually baked them in the oven rather than boiling. It givens the gnocchi a yummy golden brown crust and lots of flavor. I've also experimented with sweet potatoes, very yummy!
view Kidding's profile
The back of the fork method works great. Just one word of caution. The first time I did it, I did it too close to the steam of the water and the dough got soft and sticky and it became messy. However, they tasted just as good! Just didn't look as neat as they could have. Mmm. I need to do this again.
view Lady K's profile
I made ricotta gnocchi (gnudi) the other day and it came out very well using a recipe from DeliciousDays.com but i am still intimidated about trying a potato version. Sweet potato experimentation sounds really great too ! perhaps i'll give that a shot.
Ricotta gnocchi recipe here: http://theripetomato.wordpress.com/2009/06/15/gnudi-done-well-this-time/
view theripetomato's profile
http://blip.tv/file/737607
This awesome cooking video (which I may read about on TheKitchn) was how I made EASY and super YUM gnocchi.
view alisa k's profile