View source for Gnocchi

{{Short description|Small pasta-like dough dumplings}}
{{Infobox food
| name            = Gnocchi
| image           = Gnocchi di ricotta burro e salvia.jpg
| image_size      = 
| caption         = Gnocchi of [[Ricotta|ricotta cheese]] dressed in butter and sage
| alternate_name  = 
| country         = [[Italy]]
| region          = 
| creator         = 
| course          = {{lang|it|[[Italian meal structure#Formal meal structure|Primo]]}} (Italian course)
| type            = [[Dumpling]]
| served          = 
| main_ingredient = [[Potato]]es, [[semolina]], [[wheat flour]], [[breadcrumbs]], sometimes [[Eggs as food|eggs]], [[cheese]], [[Durum wheat|durum]]
| variations      = 
| similar_dish    = {{lang|it|[[Gnudi]]}}
}}

'''Gnocchi'''{{efn|{{IPAc-en|ˈ|n|(|j|)|ɒ|k|i}} {{respell|N(Y)OK|ee}},<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/gnocchi |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191216081658/https://www.lexico.com/definition/gnocchi |url-status=dead |archive-date=2019-12-16 |title=gnocchi |dictionary=[[Lexico]] UK English Dictionary |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref> {{IPAc-en|USalso|ˈ|n|(|j|)|oʊ|k|i|,_|ˈ|n|(|j|)|ɔː|k|i}} {{respell|N(Y)OH|kee|,_|N(Y)AW|-}};<ref>{{MerriamWebsterDictionary|access-date=2 October 2019|gnocchi}}</ref><ref>{{Dictionary.com|access-date=2 October 2019|gnocchi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite American Heritage Dictionary|gnocchi|access-date=2 October 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=gnocchi |url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/gnocchi |website=[[Collins English Dictionary]] |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |access-date=2 October 2019 |archive-date=2 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191002194622/https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/gnocchi |url-status=live }}</ref> {{IPA|it|ˈɲɔkki|lang|small=no}}; {{singular}}: ''gnocco''.}} are a varied family of [[pasta]]-like [[dumpling]]s 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> [[Eggs as food|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, {{lang|it|Il nuovo codice della pasta}}, 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">{{Cite book |last=Riley |first=Gillian |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-HStec87HdcC&q=Gnocchi&pg=PT8 |title=The Oxford Companion to Italian Food |date=2007 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-860617-8 |location=Oxford |language=en}}</ref> or similar ingredients,<ref name="Waverley Root">[[Waverley Root]], {{lang|it|The Food of Italy}}, 1971 ''passim''</ref><ref name="Luigi Carnacina">Luigi Carnacina, Luigi Veronelli, {{lang|it|La cucina rustica regionale}} (4 vol.), Rizzoli 1966, ''passim''</ref><ref name="Accademia Italiana della Cucina">Accademia Italiana della Cucina, {{lang|it|La Cucina: The Regional Cooking of Italy}}, 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 potato]]es for potatoes or rice flour for wheat flour. Such variations are often considered to be non-traditional.<ref name="OCIF" />

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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 ({{lang|it|[[Italian meal structure#Formal meal structure|primo]]}}) as an alternative to soups ({{lang|it|minestre}}) or [[pasta]], but they can also be served as a [[Italian meal structure#Formal meal structure|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|thumb|Gnocchi in slowly simmered red sauce]]
The word {{lang|it|gnocchi}} may be derived from the [[Italian language|Italian]] word {{lang|it|nocchio}}, meaning 'a knot in wood',<ref>{{Cite web |title=gnocchi, n. |url=http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/79506 |website=Oxford English Dictionary |access-date=2010-12-18 |archive-date=2015-11-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151105132950/http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/79506 |url-status=live }}</ref> or from {{lang|it|nocca}}, meaning 'knuckle'.<ref>{{lang|it|[[Lo Zingarelli]], 2008}}.</ref> It has been a traditional dish since [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] times.<ref name="ss42">{{Cite book |last1=Serventi |first1=Silvano |url=https://archive.org/details/pastastoryofuniv00silv/page/14/mode/2up?q=gnocchi |title=Pasta: The Story of a Universal Food |last2=Sabban |first2=Françoise |date=2002 |publisher=Columbia University Press |isbn=0-231-12442-2 |location=New York |pages=[https://archive.org/details/pastastoryofuniv00silv/page/14/mode/2up?q=gnocchi 42] |language=en |translator-last=Shugaar |translator-first=Antony |url-access=registration}}</ref> It was introduced by the [[Roman legion]]s during the expansion of the empire into the countries of the European continent. One [[Ancient Roman cuisine|ancient Roman]] recipe consists of a [[Semolina pudding|semolina porridge]]-like dough mixed with eggs; similar modern dishes include the baked {{lang|it|[[gnocchi alla romana]]}} and [[Sardinia|Sardinian]] {{lang|it|[[malloreddus]]}},<ref name="Farley 2017" /> which do not contain eggs.

After potatoes were [[Columbian exchange|introduced to Europe]], they were eventually{{when|date=March 2021}} 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|thumb|Gnocchi board or {{lang|it|cavarola}}]]
[[File:Creazione gnocchi.jpg|thumb|Forming gnocchi with a {{lang|it|cavarola}}]]
Ingredients typically include [[wheat flour]],<ref name="Buonassisi" /> [[potato]],<ref name="Buonassisi-2" /> [[Eggs as food|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">{{Cite book |last=Davidson |first=Alan |title=The Oxford Companion to Food |title-link=The Oxford Companion to Food |date=2014 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-967733-7 |editor-last=Jaine |editor-first=Tom |edition=3rd |location=New York, NY |chapter=Gnocchi |doi=10.1093/acref/9780199677337.001.0001 |chapter-url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199677337.001.0001/acref-9780199677337-e-1047}}</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 {{lang|it|cavarola}} boards.

{{Gallery|title=Making gnocchi|align=center
|File:Making mashed potato gnocchi.jpg
|Eggs are added to mashed potatoes.
|alt1=
|File:Making mashed potato gnocchi - 9365324541.jpg
|Flour is added as needed to make a workable dough.
|alt2=
|File:Making mashed potato gnocchi - 9368107230.jpg
|Gnocchi dough
|alt3=
|File:Making mashed potato gnocchi - 9368108090.jpg
|Dough is rolled into long thick round strands, which are cut into pieces.
|alt4=
|File:Making mashed potato gnocchi - 9365327007.jpg
|Pieces are shaped with a fork or gnocchi board.
|alt5=
|File:Making mashed potato gnocchi - 9365329849.jpg
|Fresh raw gnocchi
|alt6=
|File:Making mashed potato gnocchi - 9368120372.jpg
|Gnocchi are boiled to cook them.
|alt7=
|File:Mashed potato gnocchi and vodka sauce.jpg
|Fresh gnocchi in sauce
|alt8=
}}

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 up to two months in the freezer.

Commercial gnocchi are often sold under [[Modified atmosphere|modified atmospheric packaging]] and may achieve a shelf life of two weeks or more under refrigeration.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hvGiAgAAQBAJ |title=Minimal Processing Technologies in the Food Industries |date=2002 |publisher=Woodhead Publishing |isbn=1-85573-547-4 |editor-last=Ohlsson |editor-first=T. |location=Cambridge |language=en |editor-last2=Bengtsson |editor-first2=N.}}</ref><ref name="Alessandrini">{{Cite journal |last1=Alessandrini |first1=Laura |last2=Balestra |first2=Federica |last3=Romani |first3=Santina |last4=Rocculi |first4=Pietro |last5=Rosa |first5=Marco Dalla |date=2010 |title=Physicochemical and Sensory Properties of Fresh Potato-Based Pasta (Gnocchi) |journal=Journal of Food Science |language=en |volume=75 |issue=9 |pages=S542–S547 |doi=10.1111/j.1750-3841.2010.01842.x |pmid=21535629}}</ref> Some are sold in [[vacuum packing#In food storage|vacuum packaging]] that is [[shelf-stable food#Retort pouch|shelf-stable]], only needing refrigeration once it is opened.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.walmart.com/ip/Sam-s-Choice-Italia-Potato-Gnocchi-17-6-oz/525019605 |title= Sam's Choice Italia Potato Gnocchi |publisher= [[Walmart]] |quote= Third image: Store in a cool and dry place (MAX 25°C). Once opened, keep refrigerated for max three days. |access-date= April 29, 2022}}</ref>

==Varieties==

===Italy===
[[Lombardy|Lombard]] and [[Tuscany|Tuscan]] {{lang|it|malfatti}} ({{literally|poorly made}}) 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 {{lang|it|[[gnudi]]}} distinctively contains less flour;<ref>{{Cite web |last=Royer |first=Blake |date=April 15, 2010 |title=Homemade Gnudi from The Spotted Pig |url=http://www.thepauperedchef.com/2010/04/homemade-gnudi-from-the-spotted-pig.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512232208/http://www.thepauperedchef.com/2010/04/homemade-gnudi-from-the-spotted-pig.html |archive-date=2014-05-12 |access-date=2014-05-12 |website=The Paupered Chef}}</ref> but some varieties are flour-based, such as the [[Campania]]n {{lang|it|strangulaprievete}}, the [[Apulia|Apulian]] {{lang|it|[[cavatelli]]}}, the [[Sardinia]]n {{lang|it|[[malloreddus]]}},<ref name="Farley 2017">{{Cite web |last=Farley |first=David |date=October 20, 2017 |title=The Perfect Pasta Dish Sardinians Refuse to Share |url=http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20171018-the-perfect-pasta-dish-sardinians-refuse-to-share |access-date=September 15, 2018 |website=BBC |language=en |archive-date=September 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180912054647/http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20171018-the-perfect-pasta-dish-sardinians-refuse-to-share |url-status=live }}</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" />

===Outside Italy===

====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 ''[[Pašticada|dalmatinska pašticada]]''. The Croatian name for gnocchi is ''njoki''.<ref name="MacGregor 2016">{{Cite news |last=MacGregor |first=Sandra |date=June 17, 2013 |title=Varazdin: Croatia's 'Little Vienna' |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/croatia/articles/Varazdin-Croatias-little-Vienna/ |access-date=November 5, 2016 |archive-date=November 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161106062901/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/croatia/articles/Varazdin-Croatias-little-Vienna/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

====France====
In France, {{lang|fr|gnocchis à la parisienne}} is a hot dish of dumplings made of [[choux pastry]] served with [[béchamel sauce]].<ref name="Gray Chronicle 2010">{{Cite web |last=Gray |first=Marlene Sorosky |date=April 4, 2010 |title=Bay Area Chefs Put Twists on Traditional French Pastry |url=http://www.sfgate.com/recipes/article/Bay-Area-chefs-put-twists-on-traditional-French-3193548.php |access-date=November 5, 2016 |website=SFGate |archive-date=November 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161106061840/http://www.sfgate.com/recipes/article/Bay-Area-chefs-put-twists-on-traditional-French-3193548.php |url-status=live }}</ref>

A specialty of [[Nice]], {{lang|fr|gnocchi}} or {{lang|fr|gnoques de tantifla a la nissarda}}<ref>{{Cite book |last=Médecin |first=Jacques |title=La cuisine du Comté de Nice}}</ref> are made with potatoes, wheat flour, and eggs. Another version including {{lang|fr|blette}} ([[Chard|Swiss chard]]) is called {{lang|fr|merda dé can}} ({{literally|dog shit}}<ref>{{cite book |last1=Frommer |first1=Arthur |title=Frommer's Europe |date=2000 |publisher=Macmillan USA |page=397 |isbn=978-0-02-862995-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZdxXAAAAYAAJ|quote=...the unfortunately named {{lang|fr|merda de can}} ({{literally|dog shit}}), which is gnocchi stuffed with spinach - it's a lot more appetizing than it sounds.}}</ref>).

In [[Provence]], potato gnocchi can be made in a longer shape called {{lang|fr|longettes}}.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Larousse |first=Librairie |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mmWBEAAAQBAJ |title=Larousse Gastronomique: The World's Greatest Culinary Encyclopedia, Completely Revised and Updated |date=2022-08-30 |publisher=Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed |isbn=978-0-593-57774-5 |language=en}}</ref>

====South America====
Due to the significant number of Italian immigrants who arrived in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, gnocchi, ''ñoqui'' ({{IPA|es|ˈɲoki|lang}}) or {{lang|it|nhoque}} ({{IPA|pt|ˈɲɔki|lang}}) 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>{{Cite news |last=McClaughlin |first=Kate |date=January 29, 2011 |title=New World Gnocchi |work=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703555804576102420697798968 |access-date=January 21, 2016 |archive-date=January 27, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160127054338/http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703555804576102420697798968 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Schneider |first=Laura |date=February 4, 2014 |title=How Eating Italian Gnocchi Became a Monthly Tradition in Latin America |url=https://globalvoices.org/2014/02/04/how-italian-gnocchi-became-a-monthly-mealtime-tradition-in-latin-america/ |access-date=January 21, 2016 |website=Global Voices |archive-date=August 13, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180813073508/https://globalvoices.org/2014/02/04/how-italian-gnocchi-became-a-monthly-mealtime-tradition-in-latin-america/ |url-status=live }}</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>{{Cite web |title='I Am Not a Ñoqui' – The Story Behind the State's Mass Layoffs |url=http://www.argentinaindependent.com/currentaffairs/i-am-not-a-noqui-the-story-behind-the-states-mass-layoffs/ |access-date=15 September 2018 |website=Argentinaindependent.com |archive-date=25 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180425145617/http://www.argentinaindependent.com/currentaffairs/i-am-not-a-noqui-the-story-behind-the-states-mass-layoffs/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Gallery==
{{Gallery
|File:Gnocchi_di_ricotta.jpg|Gnocchi being prepared
|File:Gnocchi del Casentino.jpg|Spinach gnocchi with butter and sage
|File:Gnocchi with truffle.jpg|Gnocchi with truffle
}}

==See also==
{{Commons category-inline|Gnocchi (dumplings)}}
{{Portal|Italy|Food}}
* [[List of pasta]]
* [[List of pasta dishes]]
* [[List of dumplings]]
* {{lang|it|[[Gnocchi alla romana]]}}

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* Davidson, Alan. ''[[The Oxford Companion to Food]]'', ''s.v.'' gnocchi.
* Jenkins, Nancy Harmon. ''Flavors of Tuscany''. 1998.
* Garnerone, Myriam. "Traditions et Cuisine du pays niçois, Recettes Niçoises de nos Grands-Mères". 2008.

{{Potato dishes}}
{{Dumplings}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Dumplings]]
[[Category:Italian cuisine]]