There are a lot of amazing Italian dishes that I enjoy, but if I had to choose my absolute favorite, I would have to go with gnocchi. Gnocchi is a classic traditional Italian meal that I feel not a lot of people know about. This dish is a type of pasta and can be versatile depending on how you make it.  

My mom’s side of the family comes from a village in Abruzzo, and my dad’s side is from Sicily. My grandma says we make our gnocchi the traditional Abruzzi way. It requires just two ingredients, flour and potatoes. 

Now, if you don’t know what gnocchi is, they are little soft pillowy dumplings that can be smothered in any sauce of your choosing. We don’t make them often because we make an unrealistic amount and it is a fairly long process. We specifically use red potatoes because they have a denser texture but any type of potato will work. 

The process is long so a bunch of family members will come over to help make them! To paint you a visual….

The Process:

  1. Ma boils about 15-20 large red potatoes
  2. The boiled potatoes are peeled and put through potato ricers,to break the potato down for an easy to mix texture
  3. Mash the potatoes into a large mound (we use our hands)
  4. Pour just about the same amount of flour as the potato mound next to it
  5. Combine the two ingredients into one big mound
  6. Have floured cookie sheets at the ready to place your gnocchi before it’s boiled
  7. Taking chunks out of the mound, we roll out the potato mixture into what look like “snakes”
  8. Chop the rolled out potato into pillow-like rectangles
  9. Roll these pillows with our thumbs to create a fold into the dumpling
  10. The gnocchi is then boiled in salted water until they rise to the top and are drained thoroughly to be thrown into our signature tomato sauce. They are then topped with pecorino cheese! (Ma says the pecorino cheese is an important factor because it brings out all of the flavors.)

This technique comes from a tradition in Abruzzo in the fact that the Aburzzi people enjoy when the sauce collects into the little fold of the gnocchi. It is more of a preference thing, but it has been one of my family’s existing traditions.

Gnocchi is my favorite Italian dish that my family makes because it is not something we get to have all the time, and it tastes like heaven! I love the texture of the little dumplings and the way they soak up the sauce just enough to melt in your mouth. I recommend trying gnocchi even if it isn’t homemade! I’m sure it’s possible to find a good authentic gnocchi recipe served at any Italian restaurant. I hope these tips inspire you to give it a whirl!