Gnocchi

Template:Short description Template:Infobox food

GnocchiTemplate:Efn are a varied family of pasta-like dumplings in Italian cuisine.<ref name="ss42" /> They are made of small rolls of dough, such as those composed of a simple combination of wheat flour,<ref name="Buonassisi">Buonassisi, recipe #831-833</ref> potato,<ref name="Buonassisi-2">Buonassisi, recipe #854-857</ref> egg,<ref name="Buonassisi-3">Buonassisi, recipe #837-838</ref> and salt. Variations of the dish supplement the simple recipe with flavour additives, such as semolina flour,<ref name="Vincenzo Buonassisi">Vincenzo Buonassisi, Template:Lang, Rizzoli 1985, recipe #850-853</ref> cheese,<ref name="Buonassisi-4">Buonassisi, recipe #839-840</ref> breadcrumbs,<ref name="Buonassisi-5">Buonassisi, recipe #877 "Al Pien... si tratta di gnocchi, delicatissimi, secondo un'antica ricetta mantovana..."</ref> cornmeal<ref name="OCIF">Template:Cite book</ref> or similar ingredients,<ref name="Waverley Root">Waverley Root, Template:Lang, 1971 passim</ref><ref name="Luigi Carnacina">Luigi Carnacina, Luigi Veronelli, Template:Lang (4 vol.), Rizzoli 1966, passim</ref><ref name="Accademia Italiana della Cucina">Accademia Italiana della Cucina, Template:Lang, tr. Jay Hyams, Rizzoli, 2009, passim</ref> and possibly including herbs, vegetables, and other ingredients. Base ingredients may be substituted with alternatives such as sweet potatoes for potatoes or rice flour for wheat flour. Such variations are often considered to be non-traditional.<ref name="OCIF" />

Gnocchi are commonly cooked in salted boiling water and then dressed with various sauces.<ref name="OCIF" /> They are usually eaten as a first course (Template:Lang) as an alternative to soups (Template:Lang) or pasta, but they can also be served as a contorno (side dish) to some main courses.<ref name="OCIF" /> Common accompaniments of gnocchi include melted butter with sage, pesto, and various sauces. Gnocchi may be homemade, made by specialty stores, or produced industrially and distributed refrigerated, dried, or frozen. Small soup gnocchi are sometimes made by pressing the dough through a coarse sieve or a perforated spoon.

Origin

File:Gnocchi Red Sauce.jpg

Gnocchi in slow simmered red sauce

The word Template:Lang may be derived from the Italian word Template:Lang, meaning 'a knot in wood',<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> or from Template:Lang, meaning 'knuckle'.<ref>Template:Lang.</ref> It has been a traditional dish since Roman times.<ref name="ss42">Template:Cite book</ref> It was introduced by the Roman legions during the expansion of the empire into the countries of the European continent. One ancient Roman recipe consists of a semolina porridge-like dough mixed with eggs; similar modern dishes include the baked Template:Lang and Sardinian Template:Lang,<ref name="Farley 2017" /> which do not contain eggs.

After potatoes were introduced to Europe, they were eventuallyTemplate:When incorporated into gnocchi recipes.<ref>Theisen, K. "World Potato Atlas: China - History and Overview." International Potato Center.</ref> Potato gnocchi are particularly popular in Lombardy, Abruzzo, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto, and Lazio.

Ingredients and preparation

File:Gnocchi board or cavarola.jpg

Gnocchi board or Template:Lang

File:Creazione gnocchi.jpg

Forming gnocchi with a Template:Lang

Ingredients typically include wheat flour,<ref name="Buonassisi" /> potato,<ref name="Buonassisi-2" /> egg,<ref name="Buonassisi-3" /> and salt. Variations of the dish supplement the simple recipe with flavour additives, such as semolina flour,<ref name="Vincenzo Buonassisi" /> cheese,<ref name="Buonassisi-4" /> breadcrumbs,<ref name="Buonassisi-5" /> cornmeal<ref name="OCIF" /> or similar ingredients,<ref name="Waverley Root" /><ref name="Luigi Carnacina" /><ref name="Accademia Italiana della Cucina" /> and possibly including herbs, vegetables, and other ingredients.

The dough for gnocchi is often rolled out before it is cut into small pieces about the size of a wine cork or smaller.<ref name="OCF">Template:Cite book</ref> The dumplings may be pressed with a textured object, such as a fork or a cheese grater, to make ridges or cut into little lumps.<ref name="OCIF" /> Professional tools exist for this purpose, known as gnocchi or Template:Lang boards.

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Gnocchi that are homemade are usually consumed the same day they are made. However, they can be cut into bite-sized dumplings, spread evenly on a baking sheet, frozen, then packaged in an air-tight bag and back into the freezer for later consumption. This method can allow the gnocchi to last two months in the freezer.

Commercial gnocchi are often sold under modified atmospheric packaging and may achieve a shelf life of two weeks or more under refrigeration.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Alessandrini">Template:Cite journal</ref> Some are sold in vacuum packaging that is shelf-stable, only needing refrigeration once it is opened.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Varieties

Template:More citations needed Gnocchi vary in recipe and name across different regions.

Regional

Lombard and Tuscan Template:Lang (Template:Literally) are made with ricotta, flour, and spinach, as well as the addition of various other herbs if required.<ref name="OCIF" /><ref>Buonassisi, recipe #875</ref> Tuscan Template:Lang distinctively contains less flour;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> but some varieties are flour-based, such as the Campanian Template:Lang, the Apulian Template:Lang, the Sardinian Template:Lang,<ref name="Farley 2017">Template:Cite web</ref> and so on.<ref>Buonassisi, recipe #895</ref> Certain kinds are made of cooked polenta or semolina, which is spread out to dry, layered with cheese and butter, and baked.<ref name="OCIF" />

Template:Lang (Template:Literally), derived from the Template:Lang, is made from breadcrumbs and is popular in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto, and Trentino-Alto Adige. Another variety from the latter region is spinach gnocchi.

International

Austria

In Austria, gnocchi are a common main or side dish, known by the original name and Austrian variant, nockerl (Template:Plural form: nockerln). As a side dish, they may accompany main dishes such as goulash.

Croatia

Gnocchi are very popular and often served as a dish in coastal Croatia, typically being served as a first course or a side dish with dalmatinska pašticada. The Croatian name for gnocchi is njoki.<ref name="MacGregor 2016">Template:Cite news</ref>

Slovenia

Gnocchi, known locally as njoki, are common in Slovenia's Primorska region, which shares many of its culinary traditions with neighboring Italy.

France

In France, Template:Lang is a hot dish of dumplings made of choux pastry<ref name="Gray Chronicle 2010">Template:Cite web</ref> served with béchamel sauce.

A specialty of Nice, Template:Lang or Template:Lang<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> are made with potatoes, wheat flour, and eggs. Another version including Template:Lang (Swiss chard) is called Template:Lang (Template:Literally<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>).

In Provence, potato gnocchi can be made in a longer shape called Template:Lang.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

South America

Due to the significant number of Italian immigrants who arrived in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, gnocchi, ñoqui (Template:IPA), or Template:Lang (Template:IPA), is a popular dish, even in areas with few Italian immigrants. In Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina, there is a tradition of eating gnocchi on the 29th of each month, with some people putting money beneath their plates to bring prosperity.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Indeed, in Argentina and Uruguay ñoqui is slang for a bogus employee (according to corrupt accountancy practices or, in the public sector, the distribution of political patronage), who only turns up at the end of the month to receive their salary.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Gallery