Potato Gnocchi: The Authentic Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is traditional Italian gnocchi made of? ›

Traditionally, gnocchi dough is made of semolina or plain wheat flour, egg, and mashed potato. That being said, gnocchi ingredients may vary, with the additional ingredients or substitutions including cheese, vegetables, and herbs.

Unlike potato gnocchi, Roman gnocchi (Gnocchi alla romana), are made with semolina instead of potatoes and flour, that's why they are also called Semolina gnocchi. Roman gnocchi are shaped differently than potato gnocchi.

It can be sauced and served in typical pasta style or tossed with fresh veggies for a lighter dish. Gnocchi can be added to soups and stews, fried until crispy or roasted in the oven with meat and vegetables for a sheet pan dinner.

They should be light and fluffy with just the right amount of “bite.” They only cook for a few minutes. Throw them in rapidly boiling, salted water. As soon as they float to the top, take them out. I have seen recipes for fried, crispy gnocchi but have not tried them.

The Gnudi, or spinach and ricotta gnocchi, is a typical recipe from Tuscany, usually served with a simple tomato sauce or with butter and sage. In fancy restaurants, sometimes these are served with very special aged parmesan cheese like pecorino or with a slice of lard that melts in contact with the hot gnocchi.

Nutritional Value

Believe it or not, regular pasta is actually more carb-heavy than gnocchi, coming in at around 2 times the amount of carbs per serving. Gnocchi is also notorious for having a lot more sodium, with over 200 grams of it per serving. Regular pasta doesn't have nearly as high of a sodium content.

Similar to pasta, gnocchi is high in carbohydrates and low in protein. Although both are carbohydrate-heavy foods, it has been shown that regular pasta may have less of an effect on blood sugar levels. One publication points to the fact that pasta doesn't raise blood sugar after a meal to the level that potatoes do.

But what's really interesting about gnocchi is the different ways in which it's made throughout Italy. They can be boiled, baked or fried; bouncy, chewy or crunchy and studded with various herbs, spices or vegetables.

Gnocchi, a substantial, high-calorie dish, was prepared on Thursday in anticipation of Friday, when, according to Catholic tradition, people fasted, abstaining from meat. On Friday, Romans traditionally ate fish-based dishes, such as chickpeas and cod, a dish still served on Fridays in the old-fashioned Roman taverns.

pasta, neither is really the better option. Regular pasta is higher in protein and has small amounts of some nutrients, while gnocchi is lower in calories and carbohydrates. But because gnocchi is smaller and denser, it's likely that you'd end up eating bigger portions than if you were eating regular pasta.

Why boil gnocchi before frying? ›

If you want to use homemade gnocchi, you will likely need to boil it first so it will hold together in the frying pan. Gluten free gnocchi should work just fine. butter: unsalted butter is what we used. Salted can work, just lessen the salt you add in the end.

While the best Italian gnocchi are light and pillowy, Parisian-style gnocchi are even lighter, and far easier to make. While boiling them in the style of Italian gnocchi is a great way to cook them, you can also fry the gnocchi in a skillet to be used as a blank palate for any number of seasonally-based pasta dishes.

The most famous potato gnocchi that are known and loved world-wide date back to the sixteenth or, more likely, seventeenth century—well after Spanish explorers brought potatoes from South America and introduced them to Italian kitchens.

If you're looking to swap the pasta for something healthy, gnocchi may not be the best option. Go for a protein-enriched pasta choice or a low-carb, gluten-free substitute, like zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash instead.