Gnocchi

Gnocchi di ricotta
Gnocchi being prepared.
Gnocchi
Gnocchi with tomato
For the Italian Baroque composer, please see Pietro Gnocchi.

Gnocchi (English pronunciation: /ˈnɒki, ˈnjɒki/; Italian: [ˈɲɔkːi]; N'YO-kee; singular gnocco) are various thick, soft dumplings. They may be made from semolina, ordinary wheat flour, potato, bread crumbs, or similar ingredients. The smaller forms are called gnocchetti.

Gnocchi are eaten as entrées (primi piatti), alternatives to soups (minestre), or pasta. They are widely available dried, frozen, or fresh in vacuum sealed packages in supermarkets and specialty stores. Classic accompaniments of gnocchi include tomato sauces, pesto, and melted butter (sometimes fried butter) with cheese.

While they are often available frozen in specialty grocers, they are typically homemade in European and European-American households.

Contents

Origin

The word gnocchi means "lumps", and may derive from nocchio, a knot in the wood,[1] or from nocca (knuckle).[2] It has been a traditional Italian pasta type of probably Middle Eastern origin since Roman times.[3] It was introduced by the Roman Legions during the enormous expansion of the empire into the countries of the European continent. In the past 2,000 years, each country developed its own specific type of small dumplings, with the ancient gnocchi as their common ancestor. In Roman times, gnocchi were made from a semolina porridge-like dough mixed with eggs, and are still found in similar forms today, particularly Sardinia's malloreddus (although they do not contain eggs).

The use of potato is a relatively recent innovation, occurring after the introduction of the potato to Europe in the 16th century.[4]

Regional varieties

One variety, gnocchi di pane (literally "bread lumps"), is made from bread crumbs and is popular in Friuli and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. Another variety from the latter region is spinach gnocchi.

In France

The name is also used in France in the dish known as "gnocchis à la parisienne", a hot dish comprising gnocchi formed of choux pastry, and served with Béchamel sauce.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, 1989
  2. ↑ Lo Zingarelli, 2008.
  3. ↑ Serventi, Silvano; Françoise Sabban (2002). Pasta: The Story of a Universal Food. Trans. Antony Shugaar. New York: Columbia University Press. pp. 17. ISBN 0231124422. 
  4. ↑ Theisen, K. "World Potato Atlas: China - History and Overview". International Potato Center.
Notes
  • Davidson, Alan. The Oxford Companion to Food, s.v. gnocchi.
  • Jenkins, Nancy Harmon. Flavors of Tuscany. 1998.

External links

Potato dishes
Ajiaco • Aligot • Aloo pie • Baeckeoffe • Baked potato • Bangers and mash • Batata harra • Bengal potatoes • Bonda • Boxty • Bryndzové halušky • Brændende kærlighed • Bubble and squeak • Canarian wrinkly potatoes • Carne asada fries • Cepelinai • Cheese fries • Chocolate-covered potato chips • Chuño • Clapshot • Coddle • Colcannon • Cottage pie • Crisp sandwich • Duchess potatoes • freedom/French fries • List of accompaniments with french fries • Fritter roll • Funeral potatoes • Gamja ongsimi • Gamjajeon • Gnocchi • Gratin • Hachis Parmentier • Hash browns • Home fries • Hot hamburger plate • Hutspot • Janssons frestelse • Klöße • Knish • Kouign patatez • Kroppkaka • Kugel • Kugelis • Lefse • Llapingacho • Lyonnaise potatoes • Mashed potato • Nikujaga • Papa a la Huancaina • Papa rellena • Patatas bravas • Patatnik • Péla (Meal) • Pickert • Pitepalt • Pommes Anna • Pommes dauphine • Pommes soufflées • Potato chip • Potato waffle • Potato babka • Potato bread • Potato cake • Potato doughnut • Potato pancake • Potato salad • Potato scone • Potato skins • Potato wedges • Potatoes O'Brien • Poutine • Poutine râpée • Pâté aux pommes de terre • Raclette • Rappie pie • Raspeball • Reibekuchen • Rewena bread • Rösti • Rumbledethumps • Salchipapas • Salt potatoes • Skomakarlåda • Stamppot • Stegt flæsk • Stoemp • Stovies • Szałot • Tartiflette • Tater Tots • Tortilla de patatas • Truffade • Tumbet • Vada • Waffle fries • Wrap roti