What I love about gnocchi is the memory that it brings back, the taste and smells of my Mamma’s kitchen when she meticulously, with love and passion, turned the sauce in a slow and round motion always with a smile. My passion for food began watching my Mamma preparing meals like they were a gift of love.
Gnocchi: A History
Gnocchi is maybe the most ancient Italian food. Mixing flour with water and other poor ingredients was the simpler way to eat for those who could not afford the proteins.
Gnocchi developed into different variations; at first, they existed with different ingredients such as squash and breadcrumbs, made of ordinary wheat flour or cornmeal. Then they came with cheese and potatoes. But it did not become the potato dumplings we know today until the 16th century when potatoes were introduced to Europe.
The potato gnocchi originated in Northern Italy, where the cooler climate was better suited for growing potatoes rather than grain; potatoes from this region are starchier, making light airy dough that provides a soft pillowy texture and a stronger potato flavor.
“Gnocchi Nonna”
The most common way to prepare gnocchi today is to combine mashed potatoes with flour, forming balls of dough. The gnocchi dough is usually rolled out, then cut into small bite-sized pieces, each individually pressed with a fork or a cheese grater to produce the ridges on one side. The purpose of these grooves is to enable each dumpling to hold the sauce and taste more flavorful. But before that, the dumplings are quickly boiled in salted water in only a few minutes and then immerse in your favorite sauce.
Join Us for Gnocchi Today
I would love for you to experience Italian food and culture created with the passion and happiness that I learned from my mamma, so please stop by and join us for lunch or dinner any day of the week or call me today at (401) 383-2002 to arrange a private “Taste of Italy” event.
As always, ciao,
Dino DiFante
General Manager
