Gnocchi are sold next to the pasta and treated like pasta, but they are really a quite different sort of food. Once you understand what gnocchi actually are, they stop turning chewy, and you know why they should go straight into the pan after boiling.
Gnocchi are older than the potato
This is the point that almost never appears in the recipes: gnocchi existed in Italy long before the potato arrived there. The early versions were dumplings of flour, breadcrumbs or semolina, and in fifteenth-century Lombardy they were called zanzarelli and made from bread, milk, cheese and ground almonds. The potato came from the Americas and only became common in Italian households in the nineteenth century.
That also means not all gnocchi are potato gnocchi. Gnocchi alla romana, the Roman version, contains no potato whatsoever. It is a firm semolina porridge with pecorino and butter, cooled, cut into rounds and baked in the oven. Two entirely different dishes under the same name.
Boiling: the one thing you have to get right
Fresh and dried gnocchi from a packet are boiled in plenty of salted water. They are done when they float to the surface, and that is when they should come out. Leave them in after that and they take on water and turn mushy. Lift them out with a slotted spoon, never into a colander, and keep back a cup of the cooking water. That starchy water is what binds the sauce to the gnocchi.
The pan is what lifts them
Boiled gnocchi straight into sauce turn soft. Instead put them in a hot pan with butter or olive oil in a single layer, and leave them undisturbed for two minutes before you stir. They then get a golden crust and hold their shape. Sage in the butter is the classic combination: let the leaves crisp in the butter before the gnocchi go in.
Three sauces that work
Browned butter with sage and grated cheese is the simplest, and the one that gives most for the effort. Pesto genovese needs only cooking water and a little oil to turn creamy without cream. The third is a quick tomato sauce: cherry tomatoes cooked until they collapse with garlic, and fresh basil leaves right at the end. Any spices you need are under spices.
Baked in the oven
Gnocchi alla sorrentina is worth knowing: boiled gnocchi mixed with tomato sauce, put in a dish with mozzarella and baked until the cheese bubbles. The advantage is that gnocchi cannot usually be left standing, but this version can. The rest of the Italian range is under Italy.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between gnocchi and pasta?
Pasta is flour and water or egg, kneaded and dried. Gnocchi are small dumplings of potato, semolina or bread with a little flour to bind them. They cook in minutes rather than many minutes, and they float to the surface when they are done.
How do you cook ready-made gnocchi?
Boil them in salted water until they float, a couple of minutes. Take them out at once, and ideally fry them in butter or oil afterwards for a better texture.
What do you eat with gnocchi?
Browned butter with sage, pesto, a quick tomato sauce or gorgonzola. Gnocchi are a first course in Italy, so the portions are smaller than a plate of pasta.
Can gnocchi be fried without boiling first?
Dried gnocchi from a packet can be fried straight in a pan with a little liquid and a lid. The result is firmer and more like small pieces of potato, and it works well, but it is a different dish from boiled gnocchi.
